Enter the virtual Kawartha Classic event for A Place Called Home

This year you can safely walk, run, horseback ride, swim, kayak or cycle

By Lindsay Advocate

Deb Smith, a director on the volunteer board of APCH, in front of the homeless shelter's site. Photo: Sienna Frost.

The 18th annual Kawartha Lakes Classic Cycling Tour in support of A Place Called Home has gone virtual again, due to the uncertainty of COVID-19 restrictions.

APCH is encouraging participants to safely walk, run, horseback ride, swim, kayak or cycle following government mandated rules, on or before Aug. 28. There is no registration fee, however, anyone participating in an activity will be required to sign a waiver when they register. Those who wish only to donate do not need to register or sign a waiver. 

You have the choice to register individually, create a team, or join a team to get your fundraising started. Participants can get involved with new fundraising initiatives that go directly towards the construction of the new site: the ‘Furnish a Room’ and ‘Buy a Brick’ campaigns. All funds donated will receive a charitable tax receipt. 

For the past 17 years, the Kawartha Classic Cycling Tour has been one of the largest fundraisers for the agency. APCH’s shelter provides temporary housing for youth, adults, couples and families. It is the only operation of its kind in the City of Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton County.

But, supporting this community has been especially difficult this year with the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The shelter, which has shared bedrooms, has not been in use from mid-March 2020 onwards due to physical distancing requirements. At that time, all of the shelter residents were moved to a motel on the outskirts of Lindsay in order to stay physically separate. 

In order to rebuild the shelter with accessible, physically separate bedrooms, APCH is moving forward with the redevelopment of its own site at 64 Lindsay Street South. APCH has already secured major capital funding from the provincial government and the City of Kawartha Lakes, but further fundraising is needed. That’s why APCH has embarked on a substantial campaign to raise $1.5 million to support this new project. 

That’s where the community comes in! By participating in the Kawartha Classic event, you are helping APCH to reach their goals! To sign up, create or join a team, donate, or learn more, go to: www.kawarthaclassic.com.

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