by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
On Saturday, Sept. 27, people who want to help raise funds for Place of Hope in St. Cloud will have three options.
They can “Ride for Hope.” They can “Bike for Hope.” Or they can “Walk for Hope.”
After the activities, all fundraisers will meet at 5 p.m. at Place of Hope to celebrate with food, conversation, a bouncy house for children, live music, a petting zoo and drawings for prizes. Place of Hope, located at 511 9th Ave. N. in St. Cloud, is a charitable facility that provides food, shelter and long-term solutions to people in need. The non-profit organization is operated by Place of Hope Ministries.
Option 1 is designed for motorcyclists. It is a 100-mile ride through some of the most beautiful rural scenery in central Minnesota. Check-in time is at 1 p.m. at Precision Propeller and Cycle, 109 Cedar St. in St. Joseph. After the ride, the participants will go to Place of Hope at 5 p.m. for the celebration.
Option 2 is a bike ride on the Wobegon Trail from St. Joseph to Avon and back, a total of about 16 miles. Bikers need not finish the entire ride and can turn back any time they like. Participants will meet for a 2 p.m. check-in time at the Lake Wobegon Trailhead Welcome Center in St. Joseph. There is plenty of parking available in the parking lot of Resurrection Lutheran Church, which is right next to the welcome center. Along the route there will be two refreshment/hydration stations, and there are restroom facilities available at the St. Joseph and Avon trailheads as well as one midway on the route. A business named Involved Cycles will do bike checks and small repairs if needed. After the trip, bikers will either bike or drive their cars to the Place of Hope celebration at 5 p.m.
Option 3 is a walk around Lake George and adjacent area near downtown St. Cloud. Check-in time is 3 p.m. at the Lake George shelter. The distance of the walk is about three miles. The walk will end at Place of Hope in time for the 5 p.m. celebration.
Those who cannot participate in any of the fundraising activities can donate online at hope@placeofhopeministries.org.
Or they can send a check to Place of Hope Ministries, 511 9th Ave. N., St. Cloud, MN 56303. Write “Ride for Hope” on the check’s memo line. For more information, call Pastor Carol or Pastor Geary at 320-203-7881.
contributed graphic
This is the logo for Place of Hope Ministries.
