Bike and Road Race Benefits Local Scholarships

As the old saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. The Woodbury Scholarship Fund members know that it also takes a village to help a student attend college.

This year, the WSF issued 35 scholarship awards to graduating high school seniors, 22 awards to second year students and eight awards to third year students, according to WSF President Cam Gardella.

The total amount of scholarship money awarded to students was $80,200, Gardella said. Approximately two-thirds of the $80,200 came from endowments and grants.

Go the Distance for Scholars will begin at 7:45 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, at Mitchell Elementary School, 14 School St. Woodbury. The rain date is Sunday, Oct. 2.

The event is a bike and road race to benefit the WSF and offers participation opportunities for all athletic levels. All routes start and end at Mitchell Elementary School.

"The nice thing about the bike rides is that there are short ones, for kids and for families," said Gardella.

Donald Gamsjager of DNR Integrated Systems and Teresa LaBarbera, host and reporter at WTNH News 8, are the emcees for the event.

Matt Morris of Bicycle Works, 1255 Middlebury Rd., Middlebury, volunteered to conduct pre-ride inspections at the race.

The start times for the biking portion of the race are as follows. 

• 50-mile bike route: 7:45 a.m.
• 25-mile bike route: 8:30 a.m.
• 10-mile bike route: 9:15 a.m.
• 5-mile bike route: 9:30 a.m.

A 5K run and a 5K walk begin at 9 a.m. All senior walks begin at 10 a.m.

Registration is $30 per adult and $12 per student or child. Team and family registration are available. Prizes will be awarded.

A raffle drawing and silent auction will take place after the rides at approximately 11:15 a.m. Winners do not need to be present to accept their prizes.

Children younger than 16 must be accompanied by an adult during the event.

History

Go the Distance for Scholars stemmed from an event that took place in Woodbury from 2003 to 2008: Ride for Rick, a cycling race.

Ride for Rick took place in memory of Woodbury resident Rick Moisan, who loved biking and the outdoors. Moisan died in 2005 after a battle with lung cancer. He had never smoked, according to the Ride for Rick website.

The WSF's annual fundraiser used to be a golf tournament, but a steady decline in participation prompted a change, said Gardella. Ride for Rick organizers had not offered the event since 2008, he said.

"Unable to continue to operate their event over the past two years, the Ride for Rick organization turned to the WSF to consider assuming their operations," said Gardella in a letter to potential sponsors.

The WSF collaborated with the Ride for Rick team on Go the Distance for Scholars. Gardella thanked Lisa Moisan, wife of Rick, and her Ride for Rick team for the support.

Ways to Help

In addition to walking, running or biking, there are other ways to participate in Go the Distance for Scholars.

Sponsors are sought for the event, be it individuals, businesses or organizations. Sponsor forms can be found on the WSF website.

Donations for the raffle are being accepted.

Teams can register for the event. A $500 scholarship will be awarded in the team's name next year, for the team that has the most members.

Volunteers are also needed for the event. Inquiries on volunteering may be sent to volunteer@WSF-GoTheDistance.org.

Sponsors

To be a sponsor, one must make a $500 minimum cash donation. The logo of the sponsor will then be used on all event signage and merchandise and the sponsor has permission to display signage on-site.

Go the Distance for Scholars is presented by Doctoral Sponsors and Newtown Savings Bank. A full list of sponsors can be found on the WSF website.