Team SHOEBACCA loves to ride, with the wind whipping through the vents in the helmets and the dust leaping up from the trails. On Saturday, January 30, Team SHOEBACCA took to a mental trail as they sat upon stationary bikes for the Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA Bike-A-Thon. This event, now in its eighth year, raises money for those youth, families and seniors in need, to access YMCA programs through financial aid and has gone from a first year of 3 hours of spin riding raising $1,100 dollars to last year's totals of over 30 teams, 150 participants riding for 12 hours, raising over $45,000!

Team SHOEBACCA suited up in their awesome-looking gear and took on the trails and hills of their imaginations. Two teams of riders joined over 420 other riders in this 12-hour adventure of friendship that brought in well over $51,000 (totals are still coming in)!

"What a fun event," said Dee Folse, Team SHOEBACCA captain. "From Sonny and Cher singing to an Olympic gymnast to the raffles and silent auction, this was a super fun and successful event.

"It wasn't about racing, working out or any personal "fitness" goals. No one needed any special training or practice. This was all about kids; kids that we will probably never meet," said Folse. "It was about taking a little time on a Saturday, sweating a little, raising some money and leaving exhausted but with the feeling that we did make a difference in a lot of kids' lives."

All of the money raised at the Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA Bike-A-Thon stays in the community and goes to help local people, which is a motivator for area people to get involved.

For more information on this event and to get more information about being a part of next year's "ride," check out the Bike-A-Thon website at http://www.ecke.ymca.org/bike-a-thon.html or watch this short video.