Bicycle tour to benefit greenway

Riders can see wildlife and plant life.

CHAMPION — The World of Wildlife Bicycle Tour 2008 will begin with registration from 7:30 to 10 a.m. Aug. 10 and include 20-, 40- and 62-mile routes on Trumbull and Ashtabula County portions of the Western Reserve Greenway.

Registration for the fourth-year event will occur at the Trumbull Campus of Kent State University in Champion. The ride will occur rain or shine.

The Western Reserve Greenway in Trumbull County passes through large sections of premier wetlands, home to much wildlife and many species of rare plant life.

A rider might see a groundhog, deer, river otter, beaver or bald eagle. Riders also pass through the Mosquito Lake Wildlife Area, where an observation deck has been erected by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Food and beverages will be provided at rest stops along the way and at the conclusion of the ride. Volunteers will assist riders along the route. Ride proceeds benefit the Trumbull County portion of the Western Reserve Greenway.

Ride organizers are conducting a raffle to raise additional funds. The grand prize is an Iron Horse LX ’06 City and Hybrid bicycle, complements of an anonymous donor, with other prizes donated by Bike Nashbar and other area bicycle shops. Tickets will be available at registration. Prizes will be drawn the day of the ride, but winners need not be present.

For more information, visit http://metroparks.co.trumbull.oh.us/WOW.htm, or call Dave Ambrose at (330) 647-3666.

The site has a registration form to download and mail. Fee for the ride is $15, and $20 with a commemorative T-shirt. Deadline to register is July 21. Participants can also register on the day of the ride for $20; no T-shirt is included with registrations after the deadline.

More than 300 riders participated in 2007.