Whidbey General Hospital Foundation announces the seventh annual Tour De Whidbey Bicycle Ride on Sept. 27 to raise funds for the hospital.

The Tour is the foundation’s major fundraiser, supported by the Auxiliary of Whidbey General Hospital. The tour, which has grown in size each year, is expected to have over 500 riders, and will be supported by close to 100 volunteers.

Through registration fees and sponsor support, the Whidbey General Hospital Foundation has committed tour funds toward the Soroptimist International of Oak Harbor’s campaign to purchase a digital mammography machine for the North Whidbey community clinic.

New to 2008 is a gentle, family-friendly 10-mile ride that begins and ends at the elementary school in Coupeville. The virtually flat route takes riders through scenic Ebey’s Landing National Historic Reserve prairie, farm and water vistas. Registration and post-ride chili feed will be held at the elementary school.

Also new this year is a free adaptive bike demonstration. The foundation is partnering with Outdoors For All, a nonprofit group dedicated to improve access to recreational and fitness activities for people with mobility challenges and disability. Outdoors For All will be bringing one of the largest fleets of adaptive bicycles to Coupeville for the Tour de Whidbey. Children and adults will be able to test out adaptive cycles such as hand cycles, recumbent trikes, side-by-side recumbent cycles, sidewinders, riftons, self-propelled, stick steering and other cycles. Whidbey General Hospital therapists will assist with fittings and assessments.

Experienced riders will be on the 100, 50, or 40 mile routes that begin and end at Greenbank Farm. Riders always laud the tour’s frequent break stations and their enthusiastic community volunteers. The Island County Amateur Radio Club and the Whidbey Island Goldwing Association will once again provide roving route support and radio communication at key locations. All riders are invited to the early morning pancake breakfast at Greenbank Farm hosted by the Hospital CEO Scott Rhine. A post-ride chili feed will be held at the farm.

The routes have been selected to showcase the beauty and challenging terrain of Whidbey Island, with routes passing through all of the communities on the island from Oak Harbor to Langley. Bicyclists will be out in unusually high numbers and coordinators ask that motorists pay particular attention to bicyclists this day.

Community groups and businesses that will be staffing break stations to provide water, food and treats to the riders include Whidbey Vision Care, Oak Harbor Church of Christ, Soroptimist International of Oak Harbor, Barb and Mark Schultz friends and family, and employees of Whidbey General Hospital Employee Diagnostic Imaging Department.

Information about the ride and registration can be found at www.whidbeygen.org. Online registrations is available at www.Active.com.

Interested parties can also contact the tour by email at tourwhidbey@whidbeygen.org.

Whidbey General Hospital Foundation may be reached by phone at 678-7656, ext. 4020.

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