CENTRE WELLINGTON – The annual Food Cycle Ride has crossed the finish line.
After 10 years and raising a total $130,000 for the Centre Wellington Food Bank, organizers of the annual event are bringing it to an end.
Harvey Thomson, Sue Foard, Rick Goodfellow, Bryan Hayter and Calantha Elsby – organizers of the event usually held in May – announced the news on Jan. 30.
That day they also began the process of notifying and thanking the many sponsors, donors, volunteers, and riders who contributed to the event’s success over the years.
“Four of the five organizers are in their 70s and we haven’t had any successors,” said Hayter in a phone interview on Feb. 1.
“We’ve put out feelers for a couple of years.”
Hayter said the 2020 event was a virtual ride that raised $10,500, which was significant.
But the 2021 ride would likely have been virtual as well, “and it’s fairly demanding to run. So we’re packing it in, with regret,” Hayter said.
He added the ride usually offered 10, 20, 40 and 70km loops and was suited to cyclists of all abilities. The ride would be followed by a catered lunch.
“It was a jolly old event and got a lot of people in the community riding,” Hayter said.
“We had a lot of positive feedback over the years. It’s been a pleasure to do it.”
Harvey Thomson, one of the ride’s founders in 2011, expressed gratitude for the generosity shown by the community.
He said he’s satisfied with the ride’s impact as a “community-building event that combined needed fundraising with good, healthy outdoor fun.”
