100-mile bike ride fundraiser still a go

The Fort Frances Volunteer Bureau in conjunction with the Model Railroad Club is ready to kick off their first-annual 100-mile bike ride that will bring local dedicated bicyclists from here to Orr, Mn. and back this Sunday (Aug. 1).
Since they first started recruiting for this ride, the Volunteer Bureau has five confirmed cyclists willing to battle the elements and push their bodies to the limits as well as about four that are interested but unconfirmed.
Joel Morris, president of both the Fort Frances Volunteer Bureau and the Model Railroad Club as well as an avid cyclist and the mastermind of this event, believes that the distance involved, and the relatively short amount of time in which it must be covered, in this fundraiser is probably scaring a few people away and is probably responsible for the few that are sitting on the fence as well.
“I don’t mean to scare anybody, but yes this is a challenge,” stressed Morris. “However, with proper training things can be done and even without training it can still be done it just might be a bit more painful.”
He encourages a good training period before taking part in the ride but even he admits that getting out and training regularly is easier said than done.
Morris reveals that though he aimed to do more, he has only been training one day a week.
But he learned something in his training that he thinks will be helpful for all to hear: even if it’s painful and it feels like you can’t go on, your body has a way of pulling through.
He recounted one of his 50-mile training sessions where he hit the 40 mile mark and he knew he only had 10 miles to go but he began talking to himself, saying that he just didn’t think he could make it much further.
That day he had only eaten a banana in the morning and didn’t set out until the hottest part of the day. Though most odds were against him, he did make it 40 miles without help which he indicated is better than he would have to do on the ride.
He explained that during training you are really left with your own will and your own power but during the actual fundraiser there will be vans following with sustenance like energy bars, granola bars, energy drinks, and water.
He believes that it is very possible that the ride can be done. Though not done with ease, he strongly believes that it will be worth it.
As of press time, the fundraiser had pulled together around $500. Morris had earlier hoped that it would get around $2,000 from this to put toward the programs which run through the Volunteer Bureau but unfortunately he doesn’t think that this mark will be met in time.
“I would obviously like to see more. But I have to remember that this is the first year,” he remarked.
He also attributed the smaller purse to the fact that it is summer and there is a lot of competition for everyone’s time with most people preferring to do something other than training and fundraising.
But he did reveal that he is currently beginning to plan a new fundraiser for the winter to hopefully pick up the slack.
He isn’t 100 percent sure yet on what shape the winter fundraiser will take but he assured that it will also be an extreme activity.
“Maybe we’ll ski for 50 miles,” laughed Morris.
The funds raised will go mainly toward the volunteer bureau’s many programs but a portion will also be donated to the Model Railroad Club,
From its “Dial-a-Ride” program to “Meals on Wheels,” the community Christmas dinner, tutoring programs, income tax program, “Friendly Visitors” program, and many more, the volunteer bureau provides many services to the public without asking for anything in return.
There is a dire need to have access to some resources and this fundraiser is a desperate cry for the residents of this town to help out the helpers.
The bike ride is a rain-or-shine event with only lightning standing in the cyclists’ way. Morris predicted that wind will most likely be a problem but he assured that they will still move ahead full steam.
The cyclists will leave the volunteer bureau at 7 a.m. in order to avoid the heat of mid-afternoon with an expected completion time of around 3 p.m.
Organizers are still taking cyclists for the ride and will continue to take them until the last minute. Even if someone doesn’t have enough time to raise funds before the event, they are encouraged to still participate and pick up the fundraising effort afterward.
People who are unable to take part in the ride but are still interested in helping out the cause are encouraged to pledge a rider or make a separate donation to the bureau.
Debbie Bazylewski, long time worker at the bureau, added that another option is to help out on Sunday with the event.
“We are still in need of more volunteers to make the ride run smoothly and to make sure that the participants are okay and doing well,” added Bazylewski.
She explained that people can sign up for driving the supply vans alongside the cyclists and can even help out with starting the event and receiving the cyclists at the end of the eight hour trek.
For more information or if you are interested in donating your time or money, you can drop by or call the Fort Frances Volunteer Bureau at 274-9870.