Fernie’s annual bike tour fundraiser, the Highline 100, was another roaring success this year, raising over $13,000.
The money will be split between the Fernie Alpine Ski Team (FAST) and the Elk Valley Hospital Foundation.
“Ski racing is expensive and so we decided to do this to help support FAST. A lot of the people that ride are ski team parents,” commented Jerry Nieuwesteeg, Event Organiser. “Then the second organization, the Elk Valley Hospital Foundation, is about giving something back to the community.”
The first ever Highline 100 was in 2004, and to date, the ride has managed to raise over $70,000. The event is run entirely by volunteers, with 100 per cent of the profits going towards FAST and the Elk Valley Hospital Foundation.
Riders are given the option of completing either 100 kilometers, or 100 miles. Nieuwesteeg remarked, “It’s not a race, it’s a social ride.” Starting near Koocanusa, the relaxed tour takes participants across the U.S. border and back with several stops along the way for refreshments, including an ice-cream cone at the 3/93 Dairy Bar.
The course has remained similar over the years, but Nieuwesteeg said the Highway 3 portion of the ride was eliminated for the 2012 tour because of potential safety issues.
The Highline 100 will be back again next year and is already scheduled for the first week of August.
