Cyclists complete tour across 3 U.S. states, raise $125K for Habitat for Humanity home

More than two dozen Winnipeggers who each cycled more than 1,250 kilometres were welcomed back to the city by supporters perched in front of a new home the cyclists helped raise money to build.

The cycling tour took the group on a journey across three U.S. states along the TransAmerica Trail from Baker City, Ore. to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.

After two weeks on the road, riders in the 2019 Cycle of Hope series were greeted by their families, friends and the sounds of hardworking volunteers powering up drills, stapling plywood and hammering nails at the Habitat for Humanity construction site on Selkirk Avenue Saturday afternoon.

On July 6, John Loewen and his teenaged son Sam, 15, strapped on their helmets to tackle the challenging trek together for the first time. Loewen initially joined the cycling tour in 1995 when he saw a poster about 50 cyclists taking a month-long ride from Winnipeg to Los Angeles, Calif.

The father spoke about how much the annual adventure means to him.

"After you get involved and start paying attention, you realize the significance of what the event does," Loewen said. "It builds a home and breaks the cycle of poverty for deserving families."

This year the cyclists collected $125,000 — and counting — to cover the costs of the lot, labour and supplies in the longest running Canadian fundraiser for the not-for-profit organization, said an organizer. Habitat has raised a total of $4 million in its 26 years.

"It was definitely a lot of climbing and thrilling descents. Lots of winding highway, beautiful winding rivers and forests and mountains," said Wilfred Neufeld, one of the 28 participants.

The crew spent long nights away from their homes and loved ones, sleeping in gymnasiums and auditoriums along the way to cut costs on the trip.

"It was hard, with hot weather [and] sleep deprivation from getting up so early. But it's well worth it," Neufeld said.

Lifting spirits, raising walls

A crowd cheered as volunteers lined up along the edge of a wooden frame worked together to heave up the first standing wall of the new house under construction for a Syrian family who requested to live in the North End.

Sandy Hopkins, the chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity in Manitoba, said the cycling trip has contributed to building a house or more ever year since 1994. Dozens of volunteers work together under red seal carpenters and trades partners who will install plumbing and electrical.

"We're deeply indebted to those people for volunteering so much of their time, energy and effort to help a family to a better life," Hopkins said about the cyclists, support crew and volunteer construction workers it will take to eventually put a roof up on the soon-to-be home.

In order to be eligible for the program, Habitat requires families who need housing to have a child under 10-years- old and one adult in the family who works full-time in the community.

The family must also meet provincial requirements for housing subsidies. Once approved, a professional appraiser will put a price on the home before the family effectively buys it.

What makes it affordable is that there's no down payment or interest on the mortgage for the first 15 years, and payments are geared to what the family can afford to pay as opposed to being based on the value of the house.

The home funded by this year's cycle series is expected to be ready for the family to move in in about four months.

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