Cyclists complete tour across 3 U.S. states, raise $125K for Habitat for Humanity home

More than two dozen Winnipeggerswho each cycledmore than 1,250 kilometres were welcomed back to the city by supportersperched in front of a new home the cyclists helped raise money to build.

The cycling tourtook the groupon ajourneyacross three U.S. states along theTransAmerica Trail fromBaker City, Ore. to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.

After two weeks on the road, riders in the 2019 Cycle of Hope series were greeted by their families, friends and the sounds of hardworking volunteerspowering up drills, staplingplywood and hammeringnails at the Habitat for Humanity construction site on Selkirk Avenue Saturday afternoon.

On July 6, John Loewen and his teenaged son Sam, 15, strapped on their helmets to tacklethe challenging trek together for the first time. Loeweninitially joined the cycling tour in 1995 when he saw a poster about 50 cyclists taking a month-long ride from Winnipeg to Los Angeles, Calif.

The father spoke about how much the annual adventuremeans to him.

"After you get involved and start paying attention, you realize the significance of what the event does," Loewen said. "It builds a home and breaks the cycle of poverty for deserving families."

This year the cyclists collected $125,000 and counting to cover the costs of the lot,labour and supplies in the longest running Canadian fundraiser for the not-for-profit organization, said an organizer. Habitathas raised a total of $4 million in its26 years.

"It was definitely a lot of climbing and thrilling descents. Lots of windinghighway, beautiful winding rivers and forests and mountains," said Wilfred Neufeld, one of the 28 participants.

The crew spent long nights away from their homes and loved ones, sleeping in gymnasiums and auditoriums along the way to cut costs on the trip.

"It washard, with hot weather [and]sleep deprivation from getting up so early. But it's well worth it," Neufeld said.

Lifting spirits, raising walls

A crowd cheeredas volunteers lined up along the edge of a wooden frameworked together to heaveup the first standing wallof thenew house under construction for a Syrian family who requested to live in the North End.

Sandy Hopkins, the chief executive officerof Habitat for Humanityin Manitoba, said the cycling trip has contributed to building a house or more ever year since 1994. Dozens of volunteers work togetherunder red seal carpenters and trades partners who will install plumbing and electrical.

"We're deeply indebted to those people for volunteering so much of their time, energy and effort to help a family to a better life," Hopkins said about the cyclists, support crew and volunteer construction workers it will take toeventually put a roof up on the soon-to-be home.

In order to be eligible for the program, Habitatrequires families who need housing to have a child under 10-years- old and oneadult in the family whoworks full-time in the community.

The family must also meetprovincial requirements for housing subsidies. Once approved, a professionalappraiser will puta price on the home before the familyeffectively buys it.

What makes it affordable is that there's no down payment or interest on the mortgage for the first 15 years, andpayments are geared to what the family can afford to pay as opposed to being based on the value of the house.

The home funded by this year's cycle series is expected to be ready for the family to move in in about four months.

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