While the Tour d’Aldershot, which will take place on Sept. 30 this year, may not be quite as large an affair as its namesake Tour de France, it certainly has an outsize impact on the community, as it helps to fund Next Door Social Space.
This community bike ride has a number of options for ride length: you can choose a ride of 80 km, 40 km, or a family ride option of either 3 km or 10 km, with start times check-in times of 7:30 a.m., 8:45 a.m., or 9:30 a.m., respectively. The rides start half hour after the check-in, and the Lion’s Club will provide lunch to all cyclists and volunteers after the ride.
Since 2019, the Tour d’Aldershot has been an important fundraiser for Next Door Social Space. Next Door, an outreach program of the Forestview Church, has been supporting local people since for over a decade now, offering cooking classes, arts and crafts programming, a community garden, and English-as-a-second-language classes. The kitchen is used to cook up meals that find their way to those who need them via Wellington Square United Church meal bag program and Compass Point Food Market. Community connections built on community connections.
The Next Door space also hosts Rolling Horse, a non-profit community bicycle shop, who offer not only bike servicing and refurbished bike sales but also programs from mechanic training to youth drop-ins and community clinics.
The Tour d’Aldershot, then, is the perfect fundraiser for Next Door. Last year’s 75 riders raised $14,311; this year’s goal is $20,000. Says Forestview’s Pastor of Mission and Discipleship Marcée Lane, “Not only is the Tour d’Aldershot a great way to raise money for Next Door Social Space, it also brings the Burlington-Aldershot community together for a day of fun, food, and exercise!”
The entry fee for all of the rides is $25 per person or $50 for two or more people. Riders are also encouraged to fundraise via a peer-to-peer fundraising page; after registering online here, you’ll find a link for setting up your own page. Challenge yourself and donate or fundraise over $50, and you’ll receive a Tour d’Aldershot t-shirt. Spots for all ride lengths still remain at the time of writing.
