Spinning for Strong Kids

At the end of this month, a pair of Olympic athletes will join local bike and ski shop Fresh Air as it throws its support behind the YMCA’s Cycle for Strong Kids.

The event is the Y’s biggest fundraiser of the year and sees teams from local businesses saddle up on a peloton of spin bikes for a boisterous day of cycling and team building—all so thousands of kids get the chance to take part in YMCA programs.

For Jim Bates, Fresh Air’s owner, getting involved with Strong Kids was a no-brainer. As a cycling event it sits squarely inside Fresh Air’s wheelhouse—but, more importantly, he says the cause is a vital one.

“I knew Fresh Air was going to be a part of Strong Kids almost from the moment the YMCA approached us all those years ago,” he says. “I didn’t realize that one in five local families can’t put their kids into sports, and that really resonated with me.”

“We believe every kid should have the chance to be active and develop skills, confidence and self-esteem. Places like the Y do that, but also give them a place where they feel like they belong and are encouraged to discover their full potential," he adds.

The YMCA’s Margo Buckley says Bates and his wife's passion for the cause is evident in the work they do for the fundraiser.

“Fresh Air is a huge part of this event,” she says. “Jim and Karen are just so involved—they’re over the top about Strong Kids.”

Fresh Air has now been a title sponsor of the event for more than five years, shelling out significant cash to support it, donating products for raffles and silent auctions, and entering a team every year.

This year, the shop is even pulling out all the stops for that team, recruiting Olympic athletes Kelsey Serwa and Julia Ransom to hop in the saddle in its name.

The two will be among the group that starts off the day, May 27 at 8 a.m. outside the H2O Adventure and Fitness Centre.

Along with rides happening all morning and into the afternoon, Buckley says the YMCA Cycle for Stong Kids will also feature a silent auction, food, drinks, and prize giveaways.

The goal will be to raise $100,000. She says all the money stays in the community, helping kids who otherwise couldn’t afford it to join YMCA programs.

“The swim lessons, the proper childcare, day camps, even just having a Y membership so they have a safe place to go if they’re home alone after school. This is vital stuff, and Strong Kids allows us to give it to them,” she says.

Bates encouraged anyone interested in supporting the event to check out Fresh Air’s team—and consider signing up or donating—on their website.

We’re so fortunate to be a part of an event that helps so many kids in the community,” he says. “Any money our team raises does some really great stuff."