Doesn’t riding your bike through beautiful Napa Valley on a Saturday morning sound like a fun way to start your weekend?  Especially if it would help our Veterans?  Regardless of your age or biking proficiency, there is a great opportunity to ride your bike, do some good, and then celebrate afterwards on Saturday, April 20^th.  We’re talking about the 2013 Wine Valley Cycle For Sight & Rotary Ride for Veterans.

Brought to you by the Rotary Club of Napa, this annual event offers cyclists (regardless of skill level) a chance to ride their bike past vineyards (where the buds are just starting to break through), help raise money for worthwhile charities, and support our Veterans all at the same time.  After riding one of three possible available routes, recreation opportunities are at the Cycle For Sight Wine and Music Festival featuring food, wine, and beer from the Valley.  Registration fees include entrance to the Festival, but non-cyclists can purchase separate tickets as well.  So gather your family and/or friends and start making plans for a fun Saturday in just two weeks.

Proceeds from the event will go to two local organizations, the California Veterans Pathway Home Project and the Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind & Visually Impaired.  Keep reading, and we’ll tell you more about the Routes, the Festival, the Charities, and how to register or make a donation.

Wine Valley Cycle For Sight 2013:  The Routes

 

Cycle for Sight has three beautiful courses to choose from that wind among the hills and vineyards of Napa Valley.  Each ride starts and finishes at Justin Siena High School (4026 Maher Street, Napa) where the Cycle for Sight Wine and Music Festival will take place afterwards. These rides are supported with SAG vehicles, food, and rest stops.  Please realize that helmets are required on all routes.

50 MILE ROUTE: Begins at 8:00 am

This challenging ride features a 1,700 foot climb to the top of Mt. Veeder, passes by the Enchanted Hills Camp and offers panoramic views of the Napa Valley.  The course then returns to the valley floor to wind past the California Veterans Home, the historic town of Yountville, vineyards and wineries.
Click here for map

25 MILE ROUTE: Begins at 9:00 am

A moderate level ride with some gradual elevation changes that takes riders alongside lush vineyards and wineries, the California Veterans Home, the historic town of Yountville and the popular Silverado Trail.
Click here for map

15 MILE ROUTE: Begins at 9:30 am

This is an easier “family” ride on level terrain passing by vineyards and wineries as it travels up to the California Veterans Home in historic Yountville and back.
click here for map

Wine Valley Cycle For Sight 2013:  The Festival

The Wine Valley Cycle For Sight & Rotary Ride for Veterans ends with a fantastic food, wine and music festival at Justin Siena High School, starting at 11:00 am.  If you are over 21, your Festival ticket allows you to taste wine and beer while enjoying live entertainment.  There will also be food and beer available for purchase.  Tickets to the Festival can be purchased in advance or at the entrance.  The Cycle For Sight Wine and Music Festival attractions include:

• Live Music – Perfomers include Napa Valley’s own Johnny Smith Group (11:30 am to 1:00 pm) and the Bay Area’s legendary Pride & Joy (1:00 pm to 3:30 pm).
• Wine tasting – Select and taste from a variety of over 20 Napa Valley wineries which include Cliff Lede Vineyards, Conn Family Vineyards, Duckhorn Vineyards, Frazier Winery, HALL Wines, Hess Collection, O’Brien Estate, Renteria Wines, Robert Biale Vineyards, Trinchero Family Estates, and ZD Wines. 
• Microbreweries – Taste beers from Downtown Joe’s Brewery, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., and Blue Frog Brewery.
• Gourmet Food –   Enjoy food from Napa Valley restaurants such as Compadres Rio Grille, Fazerrati’s Pizza, Fume Bistro & Bar, Hurley’s Restaurant, Oyster Guy, and Ristorante Allegria, among others.
• Silent Action – Bid on wine lots, travel packages, lodging, dining, golf, art, and other intriguing offerings.

 

Wine Valley Cycle For Sight 2013:  The Charities

The two charities that will benefit from funds raised at this year’s event are:

The Pathway Home Project – This rehabilitation and transition center for returning veterans is dedicated to helping them transition back to productive lives.

Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind & Visually Impaired – This 300 acre camp is located in the western hills of Napa Valley and offers hiking trails, horseback riding, fishing, swimming, and a variety of other activities for the blind and visually impaired.

 

Wine Valley Cycle For Sight 2013:  Registration, Festival Tickets, Donations

Online registration is the preferred and easiest way to register as an individual or team member, but online registration ends at midnight on April 18^th.  Festival tickets, pledges, and donations can also be made online.

Adult Cyclist Registration ($65) – Includes supported ride for all distances, festival entry, T-shirt, commemorative wine glass, and wine and beer tasting. Also includes all fees associated with on-line registration.

Pedal of Honor Registration ($100) – All of the same benefits as General Registration plus an additional Festival entry ticket for a non-rider, and 2 commemorative water bottles

Youth Registration for riders under 21 years ($25) – Does not include commemorative wine glass or wine and beer tasting.

Festival Only Ticket ($30) – Includes festival entry, commemorative wine glass and wine and beer tasting for adults.

You can also be a part of this historic event by honoring a particular veteran, soldier or your business with a sign to be displayed along the mile long entry to the California Veterans Home.  To make a “Memorial Mile” Donation ($100) or to assist the Rotary Club of Napa’s efforts with a General Donation, please go here.   

Pledge raising is optional, but the Wine Valley Cycle For Sight & Rotary Ride for Veterans is a fun and rewarding opportunity for you and your friends to contribute more to these great causes if you are interested.  All pledges can be made to your account on-line.   Go here to learn more about Pledge Raising, and the Pledge Team Challenge Cups.

If you need it, Same Day Registration will be available onsite Saturday morning from 7:00 am to 10:00 am.  To save time, please print out and complete a registration form in advance, and bring a check payable to “Rotary Bike Event” with you.

The oldest chartered club in district 5130, the Rotary Club of Napa was first chartered in 1920.   From its original membership of 24 men, the club now has a membership of 102 men and women. The club meets for lunch each Wednesday at 12:00 at the Napa Elk’s Lodge located at 2840 Soscol Ave. in Napa.  Visitors are encouraged to drop by.