Charity bike ride supported by developers and builders raises funds and awareness for Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta.
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A small group of cyclists from Calgary’s homebuilding community will embark on a gruelling 360-kilometre bike ride in August to raise money for Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta.
About 40 individuals will participate in the 11th Annual Ride Through the Rockies, organized and founded by Ken Crockett, vice-president of Star Building Materials and sponsored by parent company, Qualico. The event has raised $1.3 million for Habitat for Humanity since it began in 2014. The 2024 goal is to raise $300,000.
“The premise is to pull the industry together for a common cause and cycling is such a good way to get people active,” says Crockett, who was inspired to start the event after attending a similar ride in Winnipeg. “I was so inspired by the camaraderie and passion for cycling but also the passion of getting a group together to raise money for Habitat.”
The event is kept small, with just 30 to 40 members of the home building industry tapping their circle of influence for financial support. The ride is a celebration of their collective fundraising efforts. The distance, which is 100 km the first day, 160 km the second day, and 100 km the third, serves as a reminder of how hard it can be for families to become homeowners, even through the auspices of Habitat for Humanity.
Last year, the Southern Alberta chapter provided $10 million in housing, but it didn’t come free. Families in line for a home must put in at least 500 hours of sweat equity in the build of their home. Many who qualify are working two to three jobs just to make ends meet, let alone pay for a mortgage.
“For anyone participating in an endurance sport, there’s always a point where things get mentally hard. The idea is to remind us that it can be a hard road for people who need housing. We are privileged in our position to be able to fundraise. We want that influential rider to put as much into rallying their circle as they do on the ride,” Crocket says.
This year, Copper Point Resort in Invermere, B.C., is base camp for the Aug. 23 to 25 event. Participants supply their own bike, pay their own expenses and are required to raise a minimum of $2,500. Qualico foots the $60,000 bill for all other expenses, including the volunteers, road permits, traffic marshalling and overhead. Every dollar raised will go to Habitat for Humanity.
One of the top fundraisers is Claudio Palumbo, Qualico’s regional vice-president for Southern Alberta. At the age of 61, this is the first year he’s been able to participate in the ride, which has always been a rigorous up and down hill adventure through the mountains.
“For Qualico, it’s a perfect fit to support an organization that provides affordable home ownership to members of our community that do not have the means to attain shelter. The Habitat model is a great example of how a shared vision, combined with the hard work and dedication of the families that receive the homes changes lives,” he says. “Partnering with many from our industry to help families into affordable home ownership is inspiring and fits perfectly with our vision to help build better cities.”
Palumbo has been training through cycling, walking and running.
“My age meant that I had to start training earlier than the younger, fitter and more accomplished cyclists,” he says.
Iain Stewart, president and CEO of Genesis Land Development Corp., is an avid road cyclist and triathlete at the age of 63. He’s an enthusiastic fundraiser for Ride Through the Rockies, calling Habitat for Humanity in some ways an extension of the industry.
“Habitat provides a ‘hand up’ for families who otherwise would not be able to purchase a home. The Ride brings together a diverse group of building industry professionals and, though we are competitors, partners, suppliers and peers, we look forward to the opportunity to unite for a great cause. It’s a testament to our industry’s dedication to community and compassion,” Stewart says.
The building community at large has long supported Habitat through annual build days, donations of materials to the ReStore and straight up cash donations. People in the industry know how important housing is, says Habitat president and CEO Gerrad Oishi.
“They know what it takes. Housing is expensive to deliver. As we grow to build city blocks of housing, we need to grow our community fundraising. Having events like Ride Through the Rockies allows us to make big plans and deliver housing,” he says.