Colin Kohrs / Winonan

The Winona Rotary Club is hosting its fourth annual Ride the Ridges bicycle event, intended for all ages and skill levels with four routes to choose from at 18, 40, 63 and 106 miles each, this Saturday.

Last year riders ranged from 12 years old to riders in their early 80s.

The 18-mile route goes from Winona to Witoka, Minn. to Houston, Minn. and back, while the longer routes reach out to towns like Rushford, Minn. with rest stops along the ways.

Mike Bernatz, a member of the Winona Rotary Club and co-chair on the committee for the Ride the Ridges event, said the ride is primarily a social event.

“It’s not a competition,” he said. “People are out because they enjoy being challenged by the ride itself.”

The rest stops also feature refreshments that are local to the areas. The rest stop in Rushford, Minn., a city with a large Norwegian heritage, will have Lefse, Bernatz said. La Crescent, Minn. will have local apples as part of their Apple Fest, and – get ready, according to Bernatz, “anyone who gets up to Witoka has earned a Bloedow’s doughnut.”

The ride will also feature ample signage decorating every route, volunteers to help with stranded riders and volunteers from the Winona County Sheriff’s Department to help with driver and bike safety, Bernatz said.

Registration is $40, with the exception of the 18-mile route, which is only $30. The fees include a meal voucher and a long-sleeve T-shirt as well as all of the other amenities.

These amenitites and accommodations are especially for visiting riders outside of the Winona area, such as showers at the middle school with a “bring your own towel” policy.

“We have people driving each of the routes on a rotating basis so that we have at all times three people out on the routes,” Bernatz said.

Claiming to be the city’s first organized bike ride, Bernatz said the event has been growing in popularity every year. In 2013 the event attracted 120 riders, 156 in 2014 and 226 in 2015.

“I think the ride is gaining the reputation as being a really well done event,” Bernatz said. “We really want to put on a good event for the community. We think there’s no other bicycle ride like this or even in the area in this part of the state.”

Funds raised from this event will go toward four different causes, including Feed My Starving Children. Last year the Rotary Club’s donation helped fund approximately 100,000 meals.

Locally, funds will benefit the kids summer lunch program, Books for Babies and the Dictionary Project.

With the funds raised from last year, the Winona Rotary Club “made a contribution that paid almost all of the costs for [the kids summer lunch program] for this year,” Bernatz said.

-By Colin Kohrs