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Hitting the road
Spring is in the air. We’ve seen robins hopping around in the backyard and heard the Canada geese honking their way home during the night. I’m looking forward to getting out on our County roads for a ride or a hike. Last year was a bust, as far as cycling goes. We took part in one ride but that was it. As far as hiking went, it was confined to hiking with the huskies in Shilo, which was more akin to two dogs pulling me around than actually hiking. This year has to be the year to get back at it.
Here’s what I’m committing to, so far. If you want to sponsor me or make a donation to either of these worthy causes, you’ll know where to find me. First of all, the sixth annual Hike for Hospice will take place on Sunday, May 1. Hospice Prince Edward provides respite for families who are caring for ailing loved ones. HPE provides education for people dealing with serious illness and assistance navigating our health care system. The most important aspect of hospice care is the emotional support and understanding provided to people facing end-of-life decisions. The registration for this walk starts at 9 a.m. at the Prince Edward Community Centre on the day of the event. Opening ceremonies will take place at 10 a.m. and by 10:30 a.m., participants will be chugging their way around the routes. The Rotary Club will provide a BBQ lunch for all participants and volunteers. This year, there will be four routes. Hospice has laid out two-, five-, seven-, or ten-kilometre walks—or runs, if you’re so inclined. Hospice Prince Edward is here because of the generosity of this community. It is both a necessity and a blessing. If you can’t make the walk, please think about sponsoring a participant or making a donation to Hospice Prince Edward. Costumes, team fun, family groups, singing and dancing are encouraged. I hope to see you there.
On Sunday, September 25, the Picton Kiwanis Club will be hosting their Annual Colour Cribbage Ride. The start and finish of this cycling event will be at the Prince Edward Community Centre. In addition to the popular 25-kilometre ride, there is a 50- and 100- kilometre route for more ambitious cyclists. This event is held in partnership with TASTE Community Grown. All of the routes are on paved roads, so just about any kind of bicycle is suitable—hybrids, road bikes and trail/mountain bikes. If you don’t own a bike and want to participate, get in touch with the Kiwanis Club regarding rentals. The County roads are fairly quiet at that time of year, but riders must follow the rules of the road and obey all signs and signals. Every rider-participant must wear a helmet. And, you ask, I understand the “colour” part of the ride but what’s “cribbage” part about? Well, each rider is dealt a cribbage hand at the end of their ride and the best hand of the day wins a prize! What’s not to like about that? Registration can be done on the day of the event at the Community Centre, starting at 8 a.m. It’s a fun ride, not a race, so if you want to cut the ride short, go for it. The Kiwanis Club’s mandate is to support children’s programmes. The local club buys bed kits for Sleeping Children Around the World. They also support our local soccer teams and the Kids of Steel Triathlon, and they provide graduation awards and scholarships. Additionally, they support our local hospital foundation and the Terrific Kids programs in our schools. This is a fun ride with lots of treats and refreshments along all of the routes. Lunch is provided and swag bags of local produce are given to all participants! What’s not to like about that? Dig out your cycling shorts and get ready to support your community. Visit the Kiwanis Club website for more information: www.pictonkiwanis.org.
Spring is about to be sprung. See you on the roads!
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