For the second year in a row, Aura Studio and Genesis House are teaming up for an event as exciting as it is beneficial — a spin-a-thon.
2025’s event, which will take place at Dead Horse Cider on May 10th, will consist of a whole 12 of high-energy cycling for a cause.
“We're excited to bring some energy to that space with our spin studio,” says Sophie Gerbrandt, the community resource coordinator with Genesis House.
“We're going to be bringing our bikes. We're going to be bringing the music. We're going to be bringing the Aura Studio vibe right over.”
Breaking the cycle
Although the spin-a-thon will be a day of fun, there is also a more sombre reason for it.
According to Gerbrandt, the theme for the spin-a-thon is to “break the cycle” of gender-based violence through fundraising and awareness in support of Genesis House, which offers resources to people in the community who have experienced this type of violence.
“That's something we've been focusing on in recent years. We know that the more that this is talked about, the more that we bring abuse out of the shadows, and the more people are willing to get help when they need it,” she says.
“Events like these, even though they seem like it's just a fun Saturday — that is a part of it — but it is also helping us promote the message that we're here, we're a community, and we can support each other.”
For Kailey Thiessen, the owner of Aura Studio, supporting Genesis House hits close to home.
“I think one of the things that that really sits with me is that our clientele is predominantly female and knowing some of the statistics from Genesis House around this area, it just shows why we need to do something like this, and why Genesis House needs the support to keep this program going” she says.
“We pride ourselves on being that safe and welcoming space for everyone, knowing that we can continue to help support a program that is that safe space for women who are in need of it.”
Fundraising for Genesis House
The fundraising portion of the spin-a-thon will go to Genesis House’s general funding.
“We have ongoing needs at Genesis House just to keep the programs that we offer for people who are impacted by abuse in our area, so that looks like some counselling services, that might look like some support groups that we offer, a variety of things, but there's always ongoing needs at the shelter as we continue to grow,” says Gerbrandt.
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The participating teams will donate a team fee, and raffles will be open to the public, who are welcome to attend the event to cheer on the cyclists.
“On the day, AutoWorks is sponsoring 50/50, and Country Cycle has also graciously donated a bike, so you can try to win that this weekend,” adds Gerbrandt.
What will the spin-a-thon consist of?
Gerbrandt says that the event in support of Genesis House will involve cycling in shifts for the full 12 hours of the event.
Although some stamina is helpful to participate, it’s an event open to beginners.
“The instructors we have that work here who will be running everything make it as accessible as [they] possibly can,” says Thiessen.
“We've got people that have never been on one of these bikes before, and then we've got people that come to the studio three, four, or five times a week, so you get to kind of decide how hard you really want to go, [and] where you want to pull back a little bit. The instructors are really great at encouraging you to work with what your body is like in that moment.”
Two bikes open
Two bikes are currently open, which means there’s room for one more team of four to six people to participate.
The donation for entry is $450.
“If you let [Aura Studio] know that you're interested, we can try to form a last-minute team, but you can also come with a few of your buddies,” says Gerbrandt.
To add to the fun, the spin-a-thon will also include themed playlists and choreography to keep the crew going through 12 hours of cycling.
“If you laugh through it, that’s just the fun,” says Gerbrandt.
Aura Studio’s spin-a-thon in support of Genesis House takes place on May 10th from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Dead Horse Cider near Winkler.
With files from Jayme Giesbrecht