Ready, get set, CHaFE registration starts

SANDPOINT — Road ride enthusiasts, set your alarm clock: registration for the third annual CHaFE 150 bike ride opens today for this picturesque early-summer ride through northern Idaho and northwestern Montana.

It’s the starting gun, of sorts, for the 150-mile CHaFE ride coming June 12, out of Sandpoint. Entry is limited to 300 riders, with registration numbers issued on a first-come basis at “www.chafe150.org.”

Though only in its third year, the CHaFE 150 is already making its mark as a regional ride of note. The route’s 150 miles encompass one upriver leg, two downriver legs and one huge lake — offering a challenging distance but no mountain passes or long, sustained climbs.

Again in 2010 a 1/2 CHaFE option will be offered, allowing cyclists to ride a 75-mile section of the route. Both rides take bicyclists through the Bull River Valley that cleaves Montana’s Cabinet Mountains and along scenic Lake Pend Oreille through the CHaFE 150 go to the Panhandle Alliance for Education in support of its “Ready! For Kindergarten” early childhood program.

In its first two years the CHaFE 150 has earned rave reviews, and built a loyal base of fans who not only love the ride for its beautiful venue, but also for its first-class ride perks and the charitable cause it benefits, as well.

“The scenery was great, the food and company were terrific, the volunteers are awesome, and it’s a great cause,” said Donna Sakson, a bicyclist from Seattle who took part in the 2009 event.

Mark Casciari of Chicago concurred: “What a great ride! It was just fantastic — the people, the support, the distance!”

The CHaFE 150 is becoming an important fundraiser for the Panhandle Alliance for Education. Founded in 2002, PAFE is about creating opportunities for students and families in northern Idaho and is guided by a simple notion: When you give children a chance, they can be great.

“The cause makes all the effort worth it,” said Geraldine Lewis, director of events and fundraising for PAFE. “The Ready! for Kindergarten program is truly about giving every child a chance to succeed in school, and what could be more important than that?”

Chris Bessler rode the 1/2 CHaFE in 2009 and drummed up $360.80 in pledges in what he calculated was less than two hours worth of time.

“I had one donor who put in $100 but the rest was $10 to $25,” Bessler said. “I just carried my pledge sheet around with me for a week and when I happened upon folks I knew, I mentioned I was riding the CHaFE. If that sparked any interest or conversation, I’d say ‘Well, as a matter of fact if I’m willing to put in the sweat, want to pledge a dime or quarter a mile?’ I usually put it in terms of a donation-per-mile because, to most of the people I talked to, biking 75 or 150 miles is a pretty bold move. I got one gal who offered a pledge after overhearing me working on a friend.”

Learn more about the ride — and register beginning Feb. 10 — at “www.chafe150.org.”