Habitat for Humanity logo

Calgary & Winnipeg – Qualico has long supported Habitat for Humanity, and this year employees will once again be taking part in two upcoming cycling events – Ride Through the Rockies and Ride Around the Lake – to raise money for the affordable housing not-for-profit organization.

virtual rid5Ride Through the Rockies, which will take place from August 20–22, is an annual event organized by Star Building Materials Calgary that is now in its eighth year. It involves a three-day cycling event through the Rocky Mountains, with highlights including Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, and Banff, to name a few.

Thirty experienced cyclists will ride over 300 km during the event to raise money for Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta. Over the past eight years, the event has raised over $700,000 to provide local families with an opportunity to become homeowners.

Ken Crockett, Vice-President, Star Building Materials Calgary, started Ride Through the Rockies after participating in the Ride Around the Lake event held in Kenora, Ontario.

“Building better cities requires commitments from many levels, including personal, business, and government,” said Ken. “Star Building Materials and Qualico take that commitment to heart, showcasing it through events like this one. I’m so proud to participate in a cause that brings the community together to help local families build strength, stability, and independence through affordable homeownership.”

Jaimie Firlotte, Marketing Coordinator, Star Building Materials Calgary, is helping organize Ride Through the Rockies and said this year is slightly different from previous ones. There will be more riders participating (30 instead of 22 or 23), and there will also be a virtual component to al

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low as many people as possible to participate.

“While our 30 main riders are participating in the full three-day riding event, their friends, family, coworkers, and the general public can ride in support of Habitat for Human

ity on their own on Saturday, August 21,” she explained. “They can ride anywhere for as long as they want. The 30 main riders will act as team captains and virtual participants can either sign up under a team captain or sign up on their own to do the virtual ride.”

Virtual participants will be encouraged to share their ride experiences via the event’s Facebook group or the Strava fitness app. The hope is that a few hundred additional participants will get involved in the event virtually and help achieve the goal of raising $100,000. Corus Entertainment will be providing sponsorship

dollars and a media package to help spread the word about the virtual ride. As in past years, Qualico employees participating in the event will be joined by participating riders from vendors and others in the industry.

Anyone interested in signing up to participate as a virtual cyclist on August 21 in support of Ride Through the Rockies and Habitat for Humanity can visit the Ride Through the Rockies website.