Participants in this year's ride were welcomed at City Hall Park by their families, as well as deputy mayor Tanya Handley. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

achieving goals

Youth complete 1000 km bike ride for Camp Alexo

Jul 14, 2019 | 9:08 AM

A very long, but worthwhile journey for 15 kids and a several volunteers ended at Red Deer City Hall Park on Saturday.

The group completed the 1000 km David Thompson Ride for Youth in style, escorted by RCMP and Red Deer Emergency Services.

The ride, which raised $21,000 for Camp Alexo, began in Canmore on July 2, and saw participants camp along the way while riding 50-77 km daily.

Craig Torry, ride coordinator, spoke to rdnewsNOW about the change seen in the kids from day one to day 12.

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“Just the belief in themselves, that they can accomplish something; they set out a goal and reached that goal. Self esteem also saw a huge increase in a lot of these kids. A lot of them felt like they couldn’t accomplish something,” Torry said.

“When they’re young, there’s lots of peer pressure in schools, lots of different teen challenges that we see, and I think as an agency, we strive for kids to have belief in themselves.”

On Camp Alexo, which is owned and operated by Red Deer’s Youth HQ in partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Red Deer & District, Torry said it plays a huge role in building character.

“Kids get the chance to explore nature, make new friends, try new activities, and once again, learn about themselves through access to nature,” he explained. “Plus, there’s being away from their family for a significant amount of time.”

To participate, each rider committed to raising a minimum of $1000.

More information on Camp Alexo is at www.YouthHQ.ca.