Cycle Oregon to bring riders to I.V. Sept. 15
From our weekly issue dated August 26, 2009
Some 2,000 cyclists are expected to arrive in Illinois Valley on Tuesday, Sept. 15. (IVN file photo)
Cycle Oregon, the annual bicycle ride enjoyed by some 2,000 riders through Oregon’s backroads landscapes, will visit Illinois Valley again this year. The riders will arrive in the valley on Tuesday, Sept. 15. The ride, which begins in Medford, will travel south and leave the state for only the second time in the tour’s history. After overnight stays in Yreka and Happy Camp, the sturdy riders will make a push over Page Mountain. After lunch at Bridgeview Winery, riders will wend their way over Bear Creek Road to Lake Selmac to camp overnight. There, the cyclists will be met with an enthusiastic welcome by scores of community volunteers.
Cycle Oregon is a non-profit organization which promotes cycling and travel through rural Oregon, and helps with development projects in small communities. Riders will have paid at least $850 to participate in the week-long ride, which will visit the State of Jefferson this year. CO partners with host communities along its tour route to accomplish tasks such as set up and break down of tables and chairs, loading and unloading luggage, serving meals, booking activities for the afternoon, entertainment for the evening and organizing vendors.
Community involvement is encouraged through some $120,000 in donations Cycle Oregon makes each year to the groups in the small communities who take on tour-critical tasks.
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Spearheading the Illinois Valley’s involvement is the Selma Community & Education Center. Jim Tehan has taken on the Site Coordinator position, which entails coordination of details large and small. Others on board who will share the load are Illinois River Valley Arts Council, and the I.V. Booster Club. Between these groups the volunteers will set up camp, haul luggage, decorate, serve meals, provide clean towels, coordinate entertainment and activities and break down afterward.
The cyclists will unwind with their provided showers and dinner, and then an evening of Illinois Valley-style entertainment is scheduled. The public is welcome to come out to mix with the riders in a festival-like atmosphere which will include vendors, area arts and crafts and informational displays.
The route will continue north to Grants Pass and environs on Wednesday morning before returning to Medford.
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