Bikers get flavour boost
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Peddlers are pushing forward at the North Saanich Freeride Park, thanks to a boost from a Deep Cove resident.
Joanne Waddington, manager at Deep Cove Market, raised $4,000 during the recent North Saanich Flavour Trail, to boost the peddle power at the newest park in the district.
“I just wanted something different in conjunction with the Flavour Trail to bring people in to the Flavour Trail for another reason,” Waddington said. “I wanted to do something to raise funds for something in the community. I wanted to give back.”
When she was looking for something a little different, someone mentioned the free ride park and she was off and running on a week-and-a-half of frantic organizing.
“I was exhausted at the end of it, but it really paid off,” Waddington said.
She also recruited her sister Rosemary Scott, owner of Deep Cove Market, who worked to round up some auction items. They hit up businesses across the Peninsula and Victoria and amassed more than 70 donations of bikes, printers, gift certificates, gift baskets and other goodies.
“Everybody was so supportive everywhere I went,” Waddington said.
The day of the Flavour Trail, she posted a display board showing the work at the bike park, the upcoming phases that need funding and photos of kids enjoying the park.
“We had a lot of people come out to the event,” Waddington said.
The silent auction augmented the Flavour Trail event at the Deep Cove Market that day.
“We’re into our third year of it and it got to the point where I thought I don’t want the same old, same old,” Waddington said. So she boosted the event with face painting, vendors, and music by Brad Prevedoros.
“It was community supporting community,” Waddington said. “Everybody says they want this, they want that, I think you need to get community involved to see things happen.”
The North Saanich Free Ride Bike Park was a volunteer initiative that brought both youth and professional riders together to form the Friends of the North Saanich Mountain Bike Park Society. The park on Littlewood Road in North Saanich is open to the public from dawn till dusk. For more information or to volunteer at the North Saanich Free Ride Bike Park visit www.freeridebc.com.
reporter@peninsulanewsreview.com
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