The 11th annual Reading Tornado Trot and Trail bike ride and fun run saw a solid attendance Saturday morning.
Riders and runners launched in the early morning hours from Reading Park for either a 14.5 or 26.5-mile bike ride and a 5k run and walk. The Trot and Trail began back in 2011 just a few short weeks after an EF-3 tornado tore through the town and damaged or destroyed most of the buildings in town, including the church, fire station, city hall, post office and bank, and killed one person.
Organizer Nancy Standiferd says while that was a devastating time in their town’s history, the trot was an opportunity to spark hope.
After supporting relief efforts for the first several years, the Trot and Trail now benefit the mission of Handlebars of Hope, a local nonprofit that supplies bicycles to those who otherwise would not be able to afford them both locally and abroad, specifically in Mexico. Matt Brown of Handlebars was one of the riders in Saturday’s event making a trip from his new home in Texas.
After he and his family moved away earlier this year to be closer to those they serve, Brown tells KVOE News it is heartwarming to see so many people continue to carry the torch of Handlebars in the local community.
Final proceeds from the event are currently pending.
Photos by Tagan Trahoon/KVOE NewsÂ
