A local group is cycling from Mission to Victoria, starting on Wednesday, May 18 to raise awareness about cultural diversity.
The four-day 200-kilometre trip, called Cycling for Diversity, is led by Mission resident Ken Herar and includes stops in Mission, Abbotsford Langley, Surrey, New Westminster, Burnaby, Vancouver, Richmond and Victoria.
The group will visit several elementary and high schools, participate in civic celebrations and meet with civic leaders.
During the trek, Herar will ride a Devinci Oslo Hybrid road bike loaned from Wentings Cycle and Mountain Shop in Mission.
He hopes to raise funds to purchase the bike and donate it to someone in need.
On the first day of the trip, the Cycling for Diversity team visits Griner Park in Mission at 8:15 a.m. for a diversity tree planting.
The District of Mission has also declared May 16 to 21 as Cultural Diversity Week.
Also on the first day, the team stops in Abbotsford to visit Dasmesh Punjabi School, W.J. Mouat Secondary and Howe Middle School.
A second tree planting takes place at 2:30 p.m. at Old Yale Road and South Fraser Way. The next stops are at Safeway at 3:30 p.m. for an hour-long diversity celebration featuring Korean drummers and at 5 p.m. at the Sikh Temple on South Fraser Way.
The group then makes its way to Langley, and concludes its trip in Victoria on May 21 at the legislature.
An ongoing journal of the trip can be viewed on the Cycling for Diversity Facebook page. Donations for the bike Herar will be riding can be made at Envision Financial, account 4577128 (Mission branch).
Interested riders are invited to contact Herar at 604-615-2499.