Mt. Charlie Challenge Will be Fun For the Whole Family

The bike race is set for Saturday and will bring in over 150 cyclists from throughout the area, all ready to ride in support of Scotts Valley schools. But don’t worry if you don’t own a bike, there will be plenty of fun to go around for everyone.

The event, sponsored by the Scotts Valley Educational Foundation, will feature 100-mile, 62-mile and 32-mile bike rides leaving and returning from Skypark, with each ride taking cyclists throughout some of Santa Cruz County’s most beautiful scenery.

This year’s event will also feature a festival in the park with activities planned that the whole family can enjoy.

Along with a barbeque and live music by professional rock and blues band, Back to Nowhere, who will perform from 12:30 to 3 p.m., the event will feature local artists selling their artwork, and starting at 11 a.m. children will be able to do crafts with the artists.

At noon, there will be a bike safety class, a bike obstacle course for kids, a kids’ bike ride around Skypark, and bike registration offered by the Scotts Valley Police Department.

There will also be a raffle for a free bike from Scotts Valley’s Cycle Sport, and a silent auction featuring items such as San Francisco Giants tickets and four new tires from Lloyd’s Tire.

The barbeque is $10 a person, including a beef, chicken or vegetable option, drink and dessert. Beer and wine will be sold separately.  

The Mt. Charlie Challenge is the Educational Foundation’s biggest fundraiser of the year. Last year, the event brought in $29,000 for local schools, and over $200,000 over the past 10 years. The Educational Foundation is a non-profit organization that holds several fundraising events throughout the year using 100 percent of the money raised to fund critical needs in the Scotts Valley Unified School District.

Volunteers are still needed for Saturday’s event. Anyone interested can go to http://www1.mysignup.com/cgibin/view.cgi?datafile=mountain_charlie to choose an activity and time slot, or contact Aura Clendenen 831-247-4805 or clendenen@earthlink.net or Michael Rein at 831-440-9835 or mike@reinlaw.net.

The Mt. Charlie Challenge is on May 5 in Skypark, 361 Kings Village Rd. The bike rides get underway at 7, 8 and 9 a.m. The barbeque and family activities begin at 11 a.m. For more information, visit http://www.svef.net/events/mt-charlie-challenge/