Steamboat Adaptive Recreational Sports’ 12th annual Biking the Boat charity ride will take place on June 25 at West Lincoln Park.

Riders will be able to participate in either a 5-, 20- or 50-mile rides to “pedal for a purpose” and fundraise for STARS to support athletes with disabilities. The 5-, 20- and 50-mile rides will begin at 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. respectively.

“People sign up either individually or as a team, and then they commit to raising a certain amount of money for STARS,” said Susan Petersen, development director for the nonprofit that aims to “empower and enrich lives through adaptive recreational activities.”

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The fundraiser garnered $55,000 in 2021, and STARS is seeking to eclipse that number with this year’s event. 

“This year, our goal is a little bit more,” Petersen said. “We’re hoping for $75,000.”

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Petersen explained that although the three rides aren’t races, STARS will be giving awards to the fastest male and female cyclists for the 50-mile ride.

“We’d like to encourage people to use this event as a training ride for some of the other races that are happening later in the summer, like the Emerald Mountain Epic, Tour de Steamboat and the SBT GRVL,” she said.

According to Petersen, there will be about 30 adaptive riders biking next week, with most participating in the 5-mile ride.

“We’ve got a couple of young men that are going to do a 20-mile ride with a buddy,” she said.

Seth Sobeski, longtime Colorado Special Olympics and STARS athlete, will be doing the 20-mile race for the first time. 

“This is the first time I’ve done the 20-mile ride,” Sobeski said. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Sobeski has also participated in track and field, swimming and baseball events with STARS and other organizations. He has participated in the race for two years and said he was looking forward to upping his mileage this year.

All registered participants will be entered into a raffle for the chance to win a New Belgium cruiser bike. There will also be a superhero-themed costume competition for racers to win a $50 Christy Sports gift card.

The team that raises the most money will have its name engraved on STARS’ Biking the Boat and Beyond trophy. Participants can also vie to be the “social media super STAR” by engaging with the organizations’ social media. The winner will receive a $50 Visa gift card.

Riders who are in the military, who have a disability, and kids under 5 years old will also receive a swag bag for their participation.

After the rides conclude, there will be a celebration with Shannon Lukens of Steamboat Radio DJing. 

It will be “a fun community event just to see racers cross the finish line, and come down and support STARS,” Petersen said.

Petersen will be at the Main Street Farmers Market Saturday, June 18, to help people register to “pedal for a purpose.” 

“​If you’ve got questions or if you want to sign up for the ride, come to the farmers market,” she said. “We’ll be in one of the community, nonprofit booth areas.”

Registration for the event will be open until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, June 23. To donate or sign up, visit SteamboatStars.RallyBound.org. 

To reach Katy Pickens, call 970-871-4208 or email her at kpickens@SteamboatPilot.com