Indoor ride raises funds for STARS
It was a fundraising event that involved “tons of sweat and tons of hard work,” said Denise Belman, executive director of the STARS Foundation.
On Saturday, more than 300 people came out to the support the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS) Air Ambulance at its inaugural Ryde the Hangar event in Saskatoon. Aimed at raising $200,000 for STARS in Saskatchewan, the event saw dozens of people riding stationary bicycles as a way to collect donations for the service.
Shaina Lynden, co-owner of RYDE YXE Indoor Cycling Studio, was one of the many fitnessfocused businesses to contribute equipment, time and training to the event. A 12-year member of the Saskatoon Police Service, she said as a first responder she understands the important role STARS plays in the province; in an emergency situation, a few minutes could be the difference between life and death.
“It’s that immediate opportunity to save someone’s life,” she said. “I’ve been in those situations, I recognize the importance of it and I’ve also had family members who need to utilize STARS.”
For the event, the hangar itself was covered in bright, colourful lights while music with a strong baseline filled the massive hangar, which alongside being equipped with dozens of stationary bikes, also featured the recognizable, bright red air ambulance. Lynden said while her studio is helping to build the spin community, it’s not just fitness fanatics who came out.
“It’s amazing,” she said of the turnout. “It’s amazing to see business, to see families, to see friends, to see all of these people come together. It’s not even necessarily the spin community. This is Saskatoon showing up.”
lifeCYCLE Spin Studio, Breathe Cycle Studio Saskatoon, Freedom Functional Fitness, and Lead Pilates were the other fitness partners who contributed to the event, but organizers say it couldn’t have been possible without support from businesses like KREOS Aviation and KPCL Dirt Movers Kelly Panteluk Construction Ltd.
With the main goal to ride a stationary bike for four hours straight, there were three ways people could participate in Saturday’s event: The Pelaton, where a team of four rides the bike for an hour each; the Twin Attack, where two team members ride the bike for two hours each; and the endurance pro, where an individual rides the bike for the full four hours.
Answering questions while she continued her workout, Belman said the organization has been “overwhelmed” by the turnout and support, calling participants and members of Saskatchewan’s spin community a group of “passionate people.”
She said there’s a reason the organization opted for a spin-focused fundraising event.
“Part of the whole STARS philosophy is a healthy lifestyle and preventing accidents,” Belman said. “We really believe that fitness is part of that. To stay healthy, keep your mind and body healthy to avoid any kind of illness in the future. That’s definitely part of our philosophy and we also wanted to bring something new to the province.”
Hajira Malik, who was leading the four-person Team Outrageous at the event, said her team usually spins together and they felt the event was “a cool way to raise money for a good cause.” She also noted that the event was a good chance to meet new people from Saskatoon’s fitness community and see what other fitness studios in the city are offering.