Pam Hooker, co-founder of BeaverTails, talks with blind rider Jeremy Steinberg and his pilot, Paul Jorgenson at the 2024 Tour de BeaverTails. (Ish Theilheimer photo)
The Tour de BeaverTails – a community cycling and walking tour – in Killaloe, goes again on July 6, building on last year, when more than 150 riders and hikers raised more than $10,000 for local vision care. Last year’s event, the first ever, was wildly popular with participants, and this year’s promises to be even better.
The Killaloe and Area Lions Club is sponsoring the event again in cooperation with Ottawa Valley Cycling and Active Transportation Alliance (OVCATA), with proceeds going to the Killaloe Food Bank.
The Tour de BeaverTails offers routes for riders of all abilities, along with a heritage walk through the friendly little town. Everyone who registers gets to celebrate, at the end, with a sweet treat courtesy of BeaverTails, which has become an international franchise corporation, and was invented in Killaloe in the late 1970s.
“Combining a treat with healthy exercise is a great way to encourage participation,” says organizer Ish Theilheimer, a director of OVCATA and a member of the Lions. “The Lions Club and the great folks from BeaverTails are terrifically enthusiastic partners in this.” Theilheimer has been friends with BeaverTails founders Grant and Pam Hooker since the 1970s, when they started their food business at the Killaloe Craft and Community Fair.
Everyone registering gets lunch and a BeaverTail pastry after the ride. The cost of registration is $75 for adults and $35 for youth (13-18) and walkers.
All rides and the walk start and end in Station Park in downtown Killaloe.
“Last year’s riders were more than enthusiastic about the routes, and we’ve made lots of little improvements in response to suggestions they made. The scenery is fantastic, the roads are quiet, and you can’t beat Killaloe for a friendly, little town,” says Theilheimer. “And the partnership with BeaverTails and the Killaloe and Area Lions is sure to produce great results for our community.”
Find more information on the website.
(Sherry Haaima)