Photos courtesy of the Spokane Aurora Northwest Rotary Club
The Spokane Aurora Northwest Rotary Club has hosted the annual Lilac Century and Family Fun Ride for close to three decades as a fundraiser benefitting many community projects in the Spokane area. This community ride that ranges from challenging to more mellow distances and even a family-friendly ride, is the annual kickoff to the spring bike riding season for many biking enthusiasts.
New Course with Options Ranging from 100-25 Mile Rides
Despite the pandemic in 2021, organizers put on a successful Lilac Century event, showcasing a new course to hundreds of riders. Sarting at the Mead Gymnastics Center/Union Stadium on North Market in Mead, Wash., this course crosses over the Peone Prairie into the foothills of Mount Spokane before returning and traversing the beautiful Greenbluff area and the community of Colbert. 100-mile “Century” aspirants will do two laps of the well-marked course with options for other riders to do a Metric Century (66 miles), 50-mile course (one lap), or 25-mile option.
12-mile Family-Friendly Ride on the Children of the Sun Trail
Riders looking for a more relaxed course, as well as families with children, can take on the Family Fun Ride that will cover 12 miles on an out-and-back route on the paved Children of the Sun Trail.
Great Ride Support, Food, and Prizes!
The courses are all well supported with SAG support and multiple food/rest areas staffed by volunteers from the Spokane Aurora Northwest Rotary Club. Once again, quality caloric energy for the rides will be provided by David’s Pizza and raffle prize drawings include a TREK DS1 Bicycle (with helmet and water bottle) or a riding jersey and bib shorts donated by North Division Bicycle and TREK.
Ride for a Good Cause
The Lilac Century is the primary annual fundraiser for the Spokane Aurora Northwest Rotary Club. Proceeds allow the club to support many local charity efforts within the Spokane Community, including contributing to an annual Christmas Basket distribution (50 families this past year), supporting the 2nd Harvest Bite To Go program at Creekside Elementary School, providing scholarships to high school seniors, supporting student of the month programs, distributing books to 4th and 5th grade students, and more community support efforts. All proceeds for the event stay within the Spokane community and are in addition to the clubs’ contributions for projects via the Rotary International.
2022 Lilac Century Ride Details
The ride is usually held in conjunction with the timing of Spokane’s Lilac Festival. This year the ride will be on Sunday, May 22, 2022, with an initial start time of 7 a.m., and additional start times throughout the morning. Riders may register either on-site on the day of the ride or as preferred via on-line at Lilaccentury.com. A mail-in registration form is also available with a downloadable form from the event website. Custom t-shirts are available to riders who pre-register early; later registrants cannot be guaranteed a t-shirt at the ride but will be able to pick one up at a later date at North Division Bicycle.
