Lots of sweat and smiles at the 16th Annual YMCA Cycle For Strong Kids in Kelowna.
Held at the H2O Centre on May 28, teams hopped on stationary bikes during one of four time slots to raise funds for local kids’ sports programs.
Breanna McDonald with the YMCA of Southern Interior BC said the funds raised will go toward the financial assistance programs, “which help a variety of our offerings from swim lessons to employment services to snacks programs to a program called Beyond the Bell which provides literacy for children who are under the poverty line.”
The cycle is the YMCA’s biggest fundraiser of the year.
By 10 a.m. on the day of the event, donations had well surpassed the $130,000 goal.
“We have about 70 riders in each of the four classes. Each rider is part of a team… then they are encouraged to raise $250 each. It was exceeded very quickly. We’ve got some matched donors, as well.”
McDonald said all the funds raised at the event will stay local and support families in the interior.
“Supporting the YMCA is so great because there’s a lot of charities on either end of the spectrum, but what the Y does is they fill in the middle part where people often fall between the cracks. What we do is we build a community, and I think at a time when technology is taking over, especially for kids, that is so important for socializing, for encouraging strength, for encouraging opportunity, for teaching kids that they can do hard things and they have a place in this community.”
READ MORE: May long weekend family fun sours after Kelowna mom breaks neck
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