The Tour de Book Bicycling Event is once again returning to Williams County. Sponsored by United Way of Williams County in conjunction with Williams County Public Library and Montpelier Public Library the Tour de Book Bicycling Event will be held on Saturday, September 27, 2014. This will be a 75 mile bicycle ride beginning at Bryan Library and traveling to every public library in Williams County.
Registration begins at 8:00 am at the Bryan Main Library and the tour starts at 8:30 am. Larry and Lilly, the Library Lions, will send off the bikers. Libraries on the route will include: Bryan, Stryker, West Unity, Pioneer, Montpelier, Edon, and Edgerton. Riders can also ride from Bryan to Montpelier, or Montpelier to Bryan, which is the length of 10.5 miles one way, or 21 miles round trip. This ride will also start at 8:30 am. Funds raised by this event will benefit the United Way Imagination Library, Williams County Public Libraries, and the Montpelier Public Library.
Rules for the event are as follows. Both teams and individuals are allowed to participate. Riders must be 18 or older to ride the entire 75 miles. Participants can get sponsors for $1.00 per mile that is completed or can ride for a flat fee of $25.00. Those unable to ride the whole 75 miles are welcome to ride the shorter route for a fee of $10. Water, Gatorade, granola bars, and fresh fruit will be provided free to riders at the libraries along the route. T-Shirts are available for sale at all the Main Library in Bryan for $10 each.
In an effort to generate more funds and participation, there will be a bicycle raffle for this year’s Tour de Book. An adult bike and a children’s bike will be raffled off. The adult bike was donated by Colbart’s Bicycle Shop. Tickets are on sale at the branches of the Williams County Public Library and Montpelier Public Library through September 27. Tickets are $1.00 each or you can buy 6 tickets for $5.00. The bicycle raffle drawing will take place on September 29. Proceeds will be retained by the “friends” of all libraries of Williams County.
WCPL library locations will be open for business certain hours during the tour. Riders will register at the Main Library in Bryan at 8:00 am and then head out to the Stryker Library at 8:30 am. Arrival time at Stryker will be approximately 9:00. The Stryker Library will be open from 8:30 am till 10:30 a.m. West Unity arrival time will be around 10:00 am, and the West Unity Library will be open from 9:00 to 11:00 am. Arrival time at Pioneer Library will be around 11:00 am. The Pioneer Library will be open from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. The Montpelier Library will be serving pizza and fruit to the distance riders around noon. The Montpelier Library will be open its normal Saturday hours from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. The Edon Public Library will be open from 12:00 to 3:00 pm with an anticipated arrival time of 1:30. The Edgerton Public Library arrival time is projected to be around 2:30 pm, and the library will be open from 2:00 to 4:00 pm.
For more information about the Tour de Book event, please contact the United Way of Williams County at 419-636-8603.