El Paso County Attorney Jo Anne Bernal announced Tuesday that more than 160 cyclists have registered for the 4 th annual cycling tour “Cycle for Change: From Surviving to Thriving.” The event will take place this Sunday October 23, 2016, starting at 8:00 a.m. at Gallegos Park (7361 Bosque Rd., Canutillo, TX).
The event has two main objectives. The first one is to bring awareness about the problems survivors of domestic violence face once they decide to leave an abusive relationship.
The second objective is to raise funds to provide scholarships for educational opportunities and therapeutic services for survivors of domestic violence.
“Our Cycle for Change event is growing every year and that is a wonderful thing for this community and the victims of domestic violence,” said El Paso County Attorney Jo Anne Bernal.
The fact that this event keeps growing shows that our community awareness around issues of violence against women is expanding and as a result we are able to award more and larger scholarships to victims of domestic violence to assist in their journey from surviving to thriving,” Bernal Concluded.
The County Attorney Attorney’s Office is hosting the 2016 Cycle for Change in collaboration with El Paso Villa Maria. The shelter is a temporary home that provides homeless women, many of whom are survivors of domestic violence, all the tools they need to thrive in life, including board and lodging, health and substance abuse counseling, education and employment training, and legal and financial assistance.
Other sponsors of event this year include the El Paso District Attorney’s Office and more than 15 local businesses. The Honor Guard of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office will be in charge of the color guard. El Paso Chihuahuas’ mascot Chico will make a special appearance from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. to take pictures with the children.
This year participants in the event will be able to choose from 4 different courses:
50 Mile race: Competitive. Stars at 8:00 a.m.
30 Mile race: Competitive. Starts at 8:15 a.m.
10 Mile Family Ride: Non-competitive. Starts at 8:30 a.m.
1 Mile Children’s Ride: Non-competitive. Starts at 8:45 a.m.
There will be free T-shirts to the first 300 registered participants, cash prizes for the top 3 male and female finishers in the 50-mile ride, and gift cards for the top 3 male and female finishers in the 30 mile course.
The cost to register for the cycling event is $40 for adults, $25 for active duty military, and $10 for children under 13 years of age. Individuals who want to support the scholarship fund but are unable to attend the event can register as “Sleep-in for a Change,” and pay only $20.
Individuals interested in participating can register online or take advantage of any of our two on-site registration events:
1. Thursday, October 20, 2016, from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., at The Bicycle Company, 3434 N. Mesa St., Ste A
2. Friday, October 21, 2016, from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., at Atom Cyclist Store, 1886 Joe Battle Blvd., #205
There will be on-site registration the day of the event at Gallegos Park starting at 7:00 a.m.
WHO: El Paso County Attorney’s Office/ Villa Maria Shelter
WHAT: 4th Annual cycling tour “Cycle for Change”
WHEN: Sunday, October 23, 2016 @ 8:00 a.m.
WHERE: Gallegos Park, 7361 Bosque Rd., Canutillo, TX
