CHAFE 150 gears up for 2015 event

SANDPOINT — The CHAFE 150 race is set to attract a record number of riders this year and that means more money for the Lake Pend Oreille School District to meet the needs of students on the autism spectrum.

As sponsors of the event, the Sandpoint Rotary Club plans to earmark the money for LPOSD for the third year in a row.

CHAFE 150 had approximately 350 riders in 2014 and has seen a 35 percent increase in participation since Sandpoint Rotary took over sponsorship of the event in 2013. Over the past two years, the race has raised about $60,000 for educators who work with autistic students in local schools.

“It’s exciting to have been able to raise that much money so quickly and we expect to break all records this year,” said Elana Westphal, chair of the Sandpoint Rotary public relations committee promoting the event.

The route began as the brainchild of cycling enthusiast Brad Williams, whose rides encompassed the highways and byways connecting Sandpoint, Bonners Ferry, and Troy, Mont., creating a 150-mile loop that includes one upriver leg, two downriver legs and scenic views of Lake Pend Oreille on the way back to the starting point.

A second option comes in the form of an 80-mile route — designated as the 1/2 CHAFE — that begins later in the morning from Troy.

Both of the longer routes are considered to be “gran fondo” courses, where riders start en masse from either Sandpoint City Beach or the starting line in Troy, and the ride is timed.

A third alternative is the CHAFE 30 fun ride — a shorter course that runs from City Beach to the Pack River Store via the Selle Valley, then back along U.S. Highway 200 to the starting point. The 30-mile option was introduced last year and attracted about 65 riders, according to Westphal.

“We’re expecting the biggest increase in that ride for this year,” she said. “Anyone can do it. Last year, our youngest rider was 6 and our oldest rider was 76.”

Distance riding events take place worldwide, but the CHAFE 150 and its shorter counterparts have a distinction that has begun to pull riders from all over the U.S. and Canada.

“It’s the geography,” Westphal said. “This is an absolutely magnificent ride.”

Almost as popular as the mountains, lakes and rivers that make up the route are the six break stops situated along the way. Historically, the volunteers staffing those stops have competed to outdo one another in the treats they offer, as well as the level of hospitality — or hilarity — they deliver to passing cyclists. Each of the six break stops can include goodies such as bagels, fruit, wraps, energy bars, sandwiches, chips, cookies, peanut butter and ice cream bars.

Also popular with riders is the high level of technical and mechanical support provided along the route.

Mounting a race of this size, even with all-volunteer labor, is an expensive proposition. Fortunately, the number of corporate and private donations and sponsorships has grown to the point where all race costs are covered, Westphal pointed out. Additional funds come from registration fees and the minimum donation of $50 each rider is required to supply through pledges, though most participants drum up substantially higher donations.

“All the money we raise goes right to the school district,” Westphal said. “In a lot of these races, they send the money to a national organization. All of the money from CHAFE 150 stays local.”

That has given a decided boost to LPOSD’s efforts to help students on the autism spectrum, whether they are “severe non-verbal or high functioning,” explained Joy Jansen, director of special services for the district.

“We’re serving over 100 kids in the district and it’s growing,” she said. “Last year was a foundational year for people to really start to understand what autism is.

“This year, it’s a totally different ball game,” Jansen added.

Different, because LPOSD has put the CHAFE 150 dollars to work to lay the foundation for future success. Special services staff have developed an Autism Resource Team — or ART — made up of a special educator, a general educator and a speech and language pathologist.

“We put together this team to support our buildings, so that each one now has support in terms of autism,” said Jansen.

Along with paying for professional development and autism-specific curriculum, the race proceeds have funded distant coaching at each school and staff who spearhead what is called a Social Thinking curriculum.

“We have two outstanding individuals — Arrow Ellis and Amanda Russell — who lead our Social Thinking groups,” said Jansen, adding that the group sessions provide a way for children on the autism spectrum to learn how to appropriately communicate and interact in social settings such as school.

Pleased by Sandpoint Rotary Club’s decision to once again fund the program in the schools with money raised this year, Jansen still is prone to frugality where those funds are concerned, just as LPOSD has been with the $60,000 raised to-date.

“That’s a big chunk of change, but things are expensive,” the special services director said, describing the funding as both an opportunity and a responsibility. “It’s the district’s responsibility to have sustainability in the programs we’re creating, because you don’t want to provide a student with a service and then take it away.”

CHAFE 150 will be held this year on June 20. Early registration opened on Jan. 21 and will continue through Feb. 11. Riders who register within that window will receive a $10 discount on the regular fee. The first 100 riders will be entered into drawings to win prizes such as jerseys, bike maintenance kits and wine.

The 2015 race will be limited to 500 participants and, due to increased popularity for the event and anticipated growth in the 30-mile ride, early registration is highly recommended.

To register or for more information on the CHAFE 150, visit them online at: www.chafe150.org.