Photos
Riders will begin early this morning from the University of Washington and conclude at Portland’s Holladay Park. Riders of all ages, ranging from children to one 85-year-old participant, come from 40 states, as well as Canada, Japan and Malaysia.
There are two stops in Thurston County along the route – at the Yelm and Tenino city parks. The Tenino City Park mini-stop has been run by the Tenino High School boys and girls basketball programs for more than a decade. The two programs use the annual event as a fundraiser and split the proceeds.
“This is our big money-maker usually,” Tenino boys varsity coach Rod Enos said.
“We’re hoping for a good year this year.”
Enos said in recent years donations have been down. While he noted it takes a few thousand dollars to get everything needed for the thousands of riders coming through the mini-stop, last year’s donations totaled around $2,400, or $1,200 per team.
“My first year as JV coach, we made almost $3,000 a team,” Enos said.
mwochnick@theolympian.com www.theolympian.com/southsoundsports @megwochnick
