By Bill Petzold
Editor
TUSCOLA COUNTY — Cass River Habitat for Humanity is pleased to announce its 11th annual Riding for Home Tour bicycle tour fundraiser.
Once again, a number of routes are being offered including 10, 15, 32, 64 and 100-mile routes. Proceeds from the ride are used to build and renovate local homes with the help of Habitat volunteers.
New this year is an additional 5-mile route, which organizers hope would give more casual or older riders a chance to get involved.
Registration opens at 7 a.m. Saturday at Vassar High School, where all routes begin and end. Riders — especiially those tackling the longer routes — are asked to take part in an 8 a.m. mass start. Riders also are asked to wrap up their tours by 4 p.m. Shower facilities will be available until 4 p.m. at the high school, and a homemade lunch is provided in the high school cafeteria upon completion of the ride.
A raffle takes place at 4 p.m. sharp, with prizes such as a Trek road bike valued at $900 and other bicycle related items up for grabs. Raffle tickets are one for $1, three for $2 or nine for $5.
Riders will enjoy SAG stops along the way, spaced about 12 to 15 miles apart on the longer routes and featuring drinks, fruit and fresh homemade cookies. SAG is a cycling term that refers to riders who are “sagging” off the back of the group, or as an acronym for “Support And Gear.” In this case, perhaps “Support And Goodies” would be more fitting.
Organizer Jerry Peterson dreamed up a 100-mile route for last year’s 10th anniversary tour, and in so doing created a tour that takes riders around Frankenmuth, then north to travel through the Cross Winds Energy Park near Akron. The ride attracts folks from all over the state, so Peterson thought riders would enjoy a close-up view of the wind turbines there.
This year, Consumers Energy is helping sponsor the Cass River Habitat fundraiser bike run.
“There will be signs like this along the (bike) route asking bikers to be aware of traffic,” said Consumers Energy’s Communication Director Dennis Marvin noting truckers and construction crews have also been notified to watch out for bikers.
Registration is $20 per rider or $5 for each rider younger than 14. Riders must fill out a release waiver. Shirts are also available, with each year of the ride featuring its own unique t-shirt.
Volunteers are still welcome to take part, either manning a SAG stop or baking some of the 90 dozen cookies eaten by riders during the tour — a special touch that organizers say keeps bringing the riders back year after year.
For information, contact organizer Donna Gilles at (989) 823-2228 or visit www.cassriver.com.
Cass River Habitat welcomes new executive director, Nancy Chevrier of Mayville
By Bill Petzold
Editor
TUSCOLA COUNTY — As Cass River Habitat for Humanity gears up for its annual Riding For Home Tour bicycle tour fundraiser this Saturday (see related story), the group is pleased to welcome its new executive director, Nancy Chevrier of Mayville.
Chevrier became executive director on July 14, and comes to Habitat with experience in home construction and remodeling, financial services management and grant development and compliance. She also has experience working with local contractors, boards of directors, customers, vendors and suppliers.
Seeing as how Habitat for Humanity is a worldwide nonprofit Christian housing ministry, some construction savvy is a definite bonus.
“I’ve always wanted to be involved (with Habitat), so this is an opportunity I’ve been waiting for,” Chevrier said. “I’ve always been into helping people. To be able to get into decent housing that can’t get there, they just need a little something, let’s help them get there. It’s exciting to me. Ever since I’ve been small I’ve wanted to fix things and remodel and make them better than they were when I found them, so it’s just in my heart.”
Board members said that they have high expectations for Chevrier.
“Federal regulations have changed and become more complex — Habitat International has become more complex — and so we needed someone with some expertise that could work with us in meeting the needs of the county within what federal regulations and Habitat International require,” Habitat board secretary Thelma Bushong said. “She’s our person.”
Habitat’s most recent project was the rehabilitation of a home in Vassar. Christine Clemens and her family were selected for that project in October 2012 and, after helping refurbish her house through Habitat’s “sweat equity” policy, the family moved into their new home last summer.
With Cherier’s leadership, Habitat board members see new life for a program that began about 14 years ago.
“There’s a lot that she’s going to be tasked with, but she’s also going to be working at rebuilding our volunteer base and broadening our focus throughout the county,” Bushong said. “Right now, we’re kind of Vassar-centered, but what Habitat calls our ‘geographic service area’ is actually all of Tuscola County. So we’re expecting great things for her.”
Cass River Habitat is tasked with completing one project a year. With the availability of foreclosed homes, Habitat has shifted its focus, but still aims to help families put a roof over their heads.
“It can be repair projects, it doesn’t have to be — if you think back to the old Habitat, it was build a new home, that was the old Habitat,” Bushong said. “Well, there’s lots of empty houses around, so Habitat across the country is evolving into repair projects for exiting homeowners, maybe an elderly family who needs handicap access to stay in their home. That is one bid direction Habitat is going across the country. Another is to take an empty existing house and rehab it to get it up to current snuff and then put a new homeowner in it. So there are a couple of different ways (we can help) that we need to explore.”
“It’s good for the community too to have those homes back up (and being lived in),” Chevrier added.
The board is always looking for new members to make the effort a county-wide project. Currently the group meets the third Thursday of every month at 6 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Vassar.
For information, contact board members Donna Gilles at (989) 823-2228 or Jayne Dubois at (989) 823-7724. Contact Cass River Habitat executive director Nancy Chevrier at (989) 325-1807 or nchevrier@cassriverhabitatforhumanity.org.