Bicyclists took part Saturday in the Fifth Annual Hearts for Our Hospital Bicycle Challenge.
The first ride, embarking on a 100-mile route, rolled out from the La Hacienda Recreation Center at 7:30 a.m. The remaining four routes followed at staggered intervals.
At the ride’s finish, R.J. Gator’s Das Krankenhaus Biergarten served up beer, wine and some good old-fashioned Gemütlichkeit.
The ride was part of Big Bike Weekend, a charity fundraising event to raise funds for The Villages Regional Hospital Auxiliary Foundation. Proceeds go to support the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment, as well as medical education scholarships to area high school seniors pursuing degrees in medical and allied health-related programs. The $2,000 scholarships, once earned, are automatically renewed each year that the students remain in good academic standing with their college or university. Through four years, the event has raised more than $191,000.
