Stefanie Hendrickson, operations co-ordinator for the Boys and Girls Club of Williams Lake, said Sunday’s second annual Shifting Gears mountain bike race was a hit with riders.
“The event was, by all accounts, a success,” Hendrickson said. “We had beautiful weather, the day was incident free, the trail was in great shape and all our riders had a great time.”
Close to 50 riders met Sunday morning at the top of the bike trail “Snakes and Ladders” on the Westsyde Trail Network. The faster riders descended first, followed by younger kids and slower riders.
“Our youngest riders were seven years old and our eldest was 47,” Hendrickson said.
She added the Boys and Girls Club fundraised around $7,500 through the event, which will go toward funding the organization’s after-school program. She said 40 volunteers helped make sure the event went off without a hitch.
Following the race riders shifted to Boitanio Park for a barbecue, some fun games and a prize draw.
“The barbecue was great fun,” she said. “Every rider got a prize. We had our T-shirt cannon there and were blasting off T-shirts to the riders. Our after-school program and the school district’s alternative education program made cookies and squares for the event.
“And lots of youth still had enough energy left to play around in the bike park at Boitanio Park. We look forward to next year’s event.”
