In its 23rd year, Eden’s Head for the Hills fundraiser has returned with some changes that will make one of the organization’s most well-known annual events more accessible to everyone.
A new option
The fundraiser, which supports Eden’s mental health services via a notable cycling experience through the first blushes of autumn in the Pembina Valley, will maintain its scenic route through the hills of Southern Manitoba while offering participants a new option for the trek — a “relaxed route.”
In previous years, the Head for the Hills event included an approximately 40-kilometre gravel route and a trail route nearly 30 kilometres in length.
Although these options are still available, the relaxed route is about a third of the length of the other two at 8 kilometres.
Tyson Deceuninck, the marketing and events manager with Eden, said the option might be more suitable for families with children and seniors who want to take in the beauty of the ride to support the community’s mental health.
Deceuninck said that another update this year is a change in the registration fee. Regular sign-up is $40, but there will also be a children’s rate of $25 for the event.
Vital support, new medals
Deceuninck said that Head for the Hills has a list of corporate sponsors who have donated items from prize bicycles to food for the event.
“That helps out significantly, but the bulk of the fundraising ... that actually goes towards the foundation normally comes from the riders,” he said, adding that there is also a change in this regard for 2025’s event.
Last year, cyclists received participation medals, but this year, a tier system will be introduced that introduces a touch of competition to the family-friendly event.
“As an individual, there are certain milestones you can hit,” said Deceuninck. “If you raise $250, you can get a bronze medal instead of a participation medal. If you raise $500, you can get a silver medal, and if you raise $1,000, you can get a gold medal.”
Yes, there will be fries
Despite the updates to Head for the Hills, the favourites of the event will remain, including the freshly made fries that Crystal Spring Colony makes for the cyclists each year.
“I've [heard] a lot about the food,” said Deceuninck. “Everybody's talking about these fries.”
‘It’s staying local’
For Deceuninck, who recently joined the Eden Foundation team, the community initiatives supported by Head for the Hills make it an organization worth getting involved in.
“[Eden] does supportive housing in the community, they do employment services in the community, they have the Eden Mental Health Centre, and [more],” he said.
“I saw these great services that they offered, and I saw that they were looking for a marketing person, and [I thought] this seems like a thing that I would be very happy to market.”
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In Deceuninck’s view, one of the reasons that the Head for the Hills fundraiser in particular has been an enduring occurrence in the Pembina Valley is that the support stays local.
“The donations that you make go to ... services in your community in Winkler, which people from Morden can access, people from Altona can access, and Carmen can access,” he said, noting that the funds go to programs like Recovery of Hope counselling services.
“Those funds stay within the community, and they help make our community stronger.”
To stay up-to-date on Eden and the services it offers or to learn more about Head for the Hills on September 13th, click here.
With files from Jayme Giesbrecht