The Tour de La Porte has been a fixture in the county for over two decades. People from across Northwest Indiana flock to the annual event for a chance to run, walk, or bike across the City of La Porte, and this year proved to be no different.
“Between both days, we're at 720 registrants right now,” said Jessica Durham, director of marketing and events for the La Porte County Family YMCA.
The 22nd Tour de La Porte kicked off on the morning of Friday, August 26, with walking and running events, including a half marathon, a 5k run, and a 5k walk. In addition to these annual events, the YMCA also introduced a new event this year: the family fun run.
“We wanted to make an affordable event for families,” said Durham. “It's really hard to find something, especially if you have a bigger family, that you can take your kids to and have a fun experience. We looked at adding this event and making it very affordable; it comes out to $6 per person. The goal was really to get families to be active together, spend time together, and have fun together. We're really excited to see it launch.”
The YMCA took over the Tour de La Porte from the Healthcare Foundation of La Porte partially in 2019 and fully in 2021. The event serves as one of the organization’s biggest fundraisers; the proceeds from the Tour de La Porte go towards sponsoring YMCA memberships for families and individuals throughout La Porte County.
“All the funds that we raise through the Tour de La Porte and the celebrity golf outing in July go to our Caring for Community Scholarship fund,” said Durham. “That allows members of our community to apply for scholarships for membership, child care, youth sports programming, adult programming, and every summer camp. We want to make every aspect of the Y accessible to everyone.”
With so many registered participants comes the need for many hands on deck. Volunteers and sponsors help make the event run smoothly and safely.
“Over the course of the weekend, we have over 200 volunteers that come out in different facets to make the event successful,” said Durham. “We need volunteers for everything. It truly takes a village. We rely on our volunteers; we couldn't do this event without them. We’re so grateful.”
In addition to volunteers, sponsors go a long way in supporting the event. This year, sponsorships alone contributed $60,000 to the event, a record high for the YMCA.
“They get involved through their sponsorships, providing volunteers, and just supporting us in many ways,” said Durham. “We're really blessed by all the amazing sponsors and community partners that are involved to make this event successful.”
This year’s premier sponsor is Northwest Health, and other significant sponsors include NIPSCO, Larson-Danielson Construction Company, Howmet Aerospace, Horizon Bank, Centier Bank, Franciscan Health 1st Source Bank, and many more.
While the events of Saturday, August 26 have raced to their conclusion, the Tour de La Porte is not over! Sunday, August 27, the Tour de La Porte’s cycling events will see riders biking anywhere from five miles to 100 miles throughout the city. At the end of their route, cyclists will be treated to a party at Cummings Lodge. Throughout their ride, cyclists will be supported by volunteer-led safety and gear (SAG) stops throughout the city.
“There are places called SAG stops where cyclists can stop along their routes and get food, drinks, have a little bit of fun, and use the restroom; all of these places are all led by volunteers,” said Durham. “People just have a lot of fun with it; part of the excitement for the cyclists are the SAG stops. It's kind of like a little party at each stop.”
More photos will continue to be posted as this cycling event continues.
The La Porte County Family YMCA seeks to create accessible, healthy activities to support the La Porte community. To learn more about its mission or to get involved, visit lpymca.org.