It’s been five years since Ken Herar began his Cycling4Diversity ride in Mission.
The annual event has grown steadily since it began in 2011. This year, the ride will go through the Okanagan as well as the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley.
Herar and his team of riders will begin on Tuesday, May 19 in Kamloops and then make stops in Vernon, Kelowna, Penticton and Merritt.
Then, from May 21-22, the riders will visit Burnaby, New Westminster, Surrey, White Rock and Langley. The ride wraps up May 22, in Abbotsford, with a public gathering at 4 p.m. at the Sikh temple.
“The temple has generously donated food for the event,” said Herar. “Anybody is welcome to join us from 4 to 5 p.m. and celebrate our diversity here in the Fraser Valley.”
While the ride began in Mission, Herar decided not to come here this year, in favour of new areas.
As part of the ride, a team of 16 to 20 cyclists (depending on the day) take part in the event, which has frequent stops at local schools to speak about diversity
“It’s not about how many people, it’s about the message. We speak at schools for about 20 minutes to a half hour. Every member of the team speaks for a few minutes about their message.
This year’s event features 16 talks at various schools
“We encourage students, adults, seniors everyone to make a special effort to be inclusive with each other in their neighbourhoods, work place, sports teams, and let’s eliminate racism.”
Mission Council, along with the province, has proclaimed May 17-23, 2015 as Cycling4Diversity Week.
For more visit cycling4diversity.ca.