FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Kelowna Cycle is on a Mission

Kelowna, BC – Thanks to Kelowna Cycle and their Refurbished Bike Program clients of Kelowna’s Gospel Mission will now get an opportunity to help others get back on their feet.

A local family, along with two other clients of the Mission received ‘new’ bikes on Tuesday. Not only will the wheels help their lives, they can now participate in the 3rd Annual Kelowna’s Gospel Mission’s Bikeathon, in support of the 30K Club this Saturday June 19th.

“We are so excited,” says mom Joanne. “Having a simple item like a good quality, working bike will allow us to do more things together. It brings my family closer when we can spend time together. It also allows us to ride in the Bikeathon as a family.”

Client Stephan is very grateful. “It’s so great that they are so generous. I’m looking for work and this will make it easier for me to get around to possible employers. I really feel having a bike will help me find work. I’m in recovery now, and I’m glad that I will be able to help others get back on their feet.”

Kelowna Cycle owner Pat Rosen says, “the idea for the Refurbished Bike Program came about after a bike rodeo at a local school. I noticed that more kids were walking the course, not riding it. I realized that not all families can afford to have bikes. So, I decided to do something about that. The public donated their old bikes, and my staff helped fix them up and make them safe. We are a community driven business, and we wanted to make sure we were contributing to our community.”

“I remember the feeling of confidence I had when I was a kid, the first time I was on 2 wheels, and I want every kid to feel that confidence.”

The 3rd Annual Bikeathon, on Saturday June 19th, is a fundraiser for the 30K Club, which provides recovery and transition homes and programs for those in need. The 30k Club is a sustainable effort to purchase and maintain recovery and transitional homes for men, women, and children where those individuals choosing to change their lives for good can continue to access counselling, support, life skills training, education, and friendship.

More information on the 30K Club, or the Bike a thon
Please contact:
Ami Catriona
Marketing and Communications Director
Kelowna’s Gospel Mission
250-763-3737 x 207
www.kelownagospelmission.ca

Everyone’s getting into the bikeathon spirit! The ladies at our very own Harmony House are getting geared up! Terra (Director of Women’s Recovery Services) and Becky went shopping for new bikes and are all ready to roll!

And those Men Of Destiny are on board too! They’re riders AND volunteers! Their team is the MOD Squad and they’re pumped to give back to the program that’s given them so much.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 3rd Annual Bikeathon Hits the Trail to Help Build Transitional Housing

Kelowna, BC – Kelowna’s Gospel Mission is proud to host their 3rd Annual 30k Club Bikeathon on June 19th, 2010. Cyclists will ride the Mission Creek Greenway in support of the 30k Club campaign which helps provide recovery and transition homes and services to those in need. Kelowna’s Gospel Mission is inviting everyone to this family-oriented, recreational cycling event for people of all ages and abilities. It is not a race; it’s simply a big ride for a great cause!

The Mission Creek Greenway EECO Centre (at the South end of Leckie Road) will be the rallying point for this fundraising event on Saturday, June 19th, 2010. The day will kick-off with a healthy breakfast for registered riders starting at 8:30am, Check in begins at 9am, and the ride starts at 10am. There will be local entertainment to get the energy pumping, and there are three different routes that cyclists can choose from: 6km, 12km, or 30km.

We encourage everyone to participate – and it’s easy! Register online prior to the event at http://www.30kclubbikeathon.com; registration is only $15 for adults – kids under 14 are FREE! Funds are raised through the online pledging system where each team and rider has their own personal fundraising web page.

The 30K Club is an effort by Kelowna’s Gospel Mission to provide recovery and transitional homes and services within the community of Kelowna through programs that will lead homeless men and women into a life of wholeness and hope. Members of the 30K Club commit $30/ month with the funds going towards the recovery and transitional homes and services.

More information on the 30K Club, or the Bike a thon
Please contact:
Ami Catriona
Marketing and Communications Director
Kelowna’s Gospel Mission
250-763-3737 x 207
www.kelownagospelmission.ca

David Harper and his Formashape team have participated in every Bikeathon and they are looking forward to year number 3. David got involved in the event after being asked by his friend Brent King to join his team. “It sounded like a great event,” says David, “so I went on the website to find our more., and I found the Bikeathon and the 30K Club to be good for families, and good for the community.” One of the benefits is riding down the beautiful Greenway. “ Truth be told, I had never been on the Greenway before I biked it in the first Bikeathon. And I was excited to be able to do that!” David got a few co-workers together, and they were excited too. “Peggy and Barb wanted to get on their bikes, get some fresh air, and do something good for our community.”

David’s excitement helped him become the top fundraiser in 2009. “Fundraising isn’t hard. The first thing to do is get some friends or co-workers together – it’s easy with friends.” Once you register online – which is really easy to do – you can use the tools on the site to send out letters to you own contacts asking friends to sponsor you. It’s just a simple email. “I find that competition is always good! Make it a friendly rivalry!” says David. “you can’t get much better than supporting people in your own back yard. And the result – helping people out of homelessness is so positive.”

Grab a friend – teams can be as few as 2 – or as big as 10! We are looking forward to more teams than ever on June 19th. See you there!

We’re so thankful for the passion and support our team leaders and riders give the 30k Club Bikeathon. It’s our hope that you’ll have a wonderful fundraising experience and to ensure that we’ve created a “HELP” document that will give you all the insights and tools you need to have a fun, and simple experience reaching your bikeathon goal. Please download this PDF to get your questions answered: Bikeathon_WebsiteHelp

Here’s some of the topics that are covered in the Website Help document:

• One-time Donors and Non-Rider Supporters
• Managing Your Account
• Personal Web sites
• Send email
• Collecting and processing pledges
• Offline pledges
• Monitoring pledges