For Emily and Josh Kayser, the Tour de La Porte (TdL) is a family (and full weekend!) affair. The two have signed up to complete the 5k Trail Run, Half Marathon Run, and 100 Mile Distance Cycling Event – all in the course of three days.
“When I asked my husband what he wanted to sign up for, I wasn’t quite expecting this,” Emily said with a good-natured laugh. “I was an active runner on the cross-country team in high school, but I haven’t ‘ran’ since our oldest daughter was born four years ago. We have a lot of training to do before August!”
Even their oldest daughter is getting involved. 4-year-old Isabelle will be running in the TdL Mini Fun Run designed for children ages 4 to 8.
“My husband and I have always valued physical activity and being outside, and it’s important to us that our daughters grow up with an appreciation for that as well. We’re looking forward to doing this event as a family,” said Emily.
TdL is a bike riding, running and walking event presented by the Healthcare Foundation of La Porte to benefit patients with cancer in our community. 100% of the proceeds raised are used to provide direct support to local patients with cancer. The multiple-day event takes place during the third weekend of August, with different events taking place from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon. This year’s TdL will be August 25, 26 and 27, 2017, and all events begin at Cummings Lodge.
The TdL schedule encourages people of all fitness levels to participate in a wide range of physical activities over the course of a weekend so you don’t have to have the same intensity as the Kayser family. There is a discount for registering for more than one event, however, and participants like Emily and Josh who sign up for all three days will receive a special award! To see a full schedule or register for the event, visit www.tourdelaporte.org.
Be sure to register by June 30 to take advantage of early bird pricing. Adult prices range from $20-40 depending on the event, prices for students age 12-17 are half the adult prices and children under age 11 can register for free. Prices will increase after July 1 so don’t delay!
If you would like to support TdL in a different way besides being a participant, the event has over 200 volunteer slots that keep the event running smoothly all weekend. Shifts range from two to five hours depending on your availably, and there are a variety of roles that need to be filled. We do work with school and community groups to certify service for credit. To see what volunteer positions are still open and to sign up, you can visit the TdL website at www.tourdelaporte.org.