4th Annual Tour de Shawnee Oct. 27 | Events

(KFVS) - The fourth annual Tour de Shawnee bike ride will be Saturday, October 27 at 8 a.m.

The event starts at the Horseshoe Lake, Illinois Community Center and offers 15, 30 (hilly), 30 (flat), 45, 62 and 100 mile distances, routes for all ages and levels of experience. Organizers say hundreds of cyclists from all over the Midwest and beyond tour through the Shawnee National Forest, Horseshoe Lake Conservation Area and the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys during the height of the fall color display. Riders that register by Oct. 19 pay an entry fee of $25, which includes an event bag full of goodies, a chance for attendance prizes and a commemorative event t-shirt.   

Local organizations sponsor seven unique rest stops that offer food, fluids and facilities for participating cyclists.

The Tour de Shawnee is organized by Alexander County Tourism and Southernmost Illinois Delta Empowerment Zone, Inc. for charitable purposes. ACT will use its portion of the proceeds to promote tourism and cycling in Alexander County. SIDEZ will use its portion of the proceeds to endow the Willard Murrie Scholarship to be awarded annually to a Shawnee Community College student with an exemplary record of voluntary service to the community.

The Tour de Shawnee is a community event made possible by dozens of volunteers and cash and in-kind donations from local businesses.

To register, go to www.tourdeshawnee.org. Check out the Tour de Shawnee Facebook page for more information or call Alexander County Tourism at 618-776-5893 or SIDEZ at 618-745-6307.

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