Chase the Race, the fundraiser involving legendary cyclist Yuri Hauswald, is nearing the finish line — not just in time but in success.
The goal has been $50,000, and Hauswald says around $47,000 has been raised as of Friday morning. Hauswald jumped at the chance to help generate money for a bike skills park and playground in Emporia, quite possibly in Whittier Park. Another $40,000 was donated through a registration donation for Unbound’s 20th anniversary event. Hauswald says this kind of facility can serve as an inspiration to the area’s young cyclists.
Hauswald says cycling became important to him later in life. After graduating from the University of California-Berkeley, he went to Pennsylvania to teach at a prep school. It was there where he met a number of people who got him interested in mountain biking, and gravel riding evolved from there. Hauswald says cycling is now an integral part of him.
The fundraiser was built on Hauswald, the Dirty Kanza 200 winner in 2015, starting at the back of the pack in the 200-mile ride and raise money based on how many riders he passed. Hauswald passed over 1,000 riders before finishing — and he says the riders ahead of him made the Unbound route a lot easier than it could have been, even with the rapidly-changing weather conditions.
Hauswald has raised funds for another local project — Bloom House Youth Services — and he says the people and the place have a special place in his heart.
People can donate through the weekend by going online to app.99pledges.com and search for Chase the Race with Yuri Hauswald. The bike park concept was unveiled earlier this year. More conversations are ahead about planning and design before a final decision is made.
