10/11/01
If riding your bicycle 150 miles
is just a walk in the park for your fitness level, consider helping a worthy
cause while staying in shape.
There’s still time for those who
want to participate in the 16th Anniversary of the MS150 Bike Tour Gambler’s
Classic, which begins Saturday Oct. 13, at 7 a.m., in Las Vegas and finishes
at the Flamingo Laughlin.
The largest organized bike tour in
Southern Nevada, the classic is part of the MS Bike Tour Cycling Series
presented by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society all over the United
States.
This year’s event starts at the MS
Society Office in Las Vegas, with the tour meandering through Las Vegas,
Henderson via Boulder Highway, then south on Highway 95 through Searchlight,
Cal-Nev-Ari, ending up at the Flamingo Laughlin.
Keith Schriner, one of the event
coordinators, said he’d like to see more participation from riders in the
Laughlin and Bullhead City areas.
“We have about 200 participants and
the majority of them are primarily from Las Vegas. We have a few from your
neck of the woods. We have a few from Phoenix and one guy that’s coming
from Texas.”
While the ride starts in Las Vegas,
area people who want to participate will be driven from here to the starting
point, he said.
“We have a shuttle that leaves the
Flamingo Laughlin at 4:30 a.m. to bring riders up here. The cost to register
is $40 per person, plus the $200 each rider raises as part of the Gambler’s
Classic. The bus ride is a $5 donation which we’re tipping the bus driver
for dragging him out of bed at this ridiculous hour,” he said.
“We’ll still be taking registrations
at 7 a.m. in Las Vegas for any last minute people who want to participate.”
Schriner said the purpose of the
ride is two-fold. “We’re raising money and raising awareness. We don’t
have a set goal, it’s not like we’re set to raise a million dollars or
die trying,” he said. “We just want to let people know we’re out there
and raise whatever money we can. Basically, it’s a lot of fun.”
Riders will travel 100 miles the
first day, 50 miles the second day, Sunday, October 14.
Cyclists will stay overnight at the
Flamingo Laughlin with the second leg beginning at 8 a.m. Riders travel
on Needles Highway, through the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation, make a
loop at Davis Camp, finishing again at the Flamingo Laughlin.
The route will be clearly marked,
Schriner said. Anyone who would like to participate can call 702-736-7272
or 800-FIGHT MS, select option 1. “Call and we’ll get you all squared away.”
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