A round of cheers erupted as Travis Bridge sat down on a stationary bike outside of NelsonB次元官网网址檚 Bigby Place.

For the next 15 minutes, volunteers and clients danced and waved signs at passing traffic while Bridge pedalled his friends to what they hope is a better year to come.

On Thursday, participants outside Kootenay Society for Community LivingB次元官网网址檚 Bigby Place took turns on the bike during a 10-hour marathon fundraiser.

The event was held to help pay for a trip to Operation Trackshoes, an annual sports festival for adults with developmental disabilities, in Victoria next June.

B次元官网网址淯sually we take a whole van of people all the way to Victoria and participate in the event, but we havenB次元官网网址檛 been able to the last two years,B次元官网网址� said program manager Lauren Schellenberg. B次元官网网址淪o weB次元官网网址檙e hoping that 2022 is our year.B次元官网网址�

Bigby Place previously paid for the trip with a grant that is no longer available, so community support worker Phoebe Hannah came up with the idea of a symbolic 10-hour ride to Victoria as a way to fundraise.

Between forest fires and the ongoing pandemic, optimism has been in short supply in 2021. But there was plenty of belief Thursday that 2022 will be a better year.

Participants wore T-shirts adorned with a sun and bike that were designed by Bigby Place clients Jemma Rezansoff and Nick Toner. The sunny T-shirts, Toner said, represented good cheer being spread on Front Street.

B次元官网网址淚t warms our day, and itB次元官网网址檚 beautiful out here in the sun.B次元官网网址�

To help send Bigby Place to Operation Trackshoes, online donations can be made at ksclcastlegar.net.

| tyler.harper@nelsonstar.com
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