Photos courtesy Hays Area Bicyclists

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

A group of Hays area bicyclists have organized a bike ride that will feature tours of the area’s historic and picturesque churches and a celebration of the Volga German heritage.

The Tour die Kapellen, which is German for Tour of Chapels, will start and end at the Union Pacific Plaza, 10th and Main, Hays, on Saturday, June 22.

The event will include options for a 3-mile fun ride in addition to 13-, 30-, 50-, metric century 62-, and 75 plus-mile rides.

Depending on the length of ride you choose, you can see different churches along the route.

Churches along the supported routes include Catharine, Victoria, Pfeifer and Munjor.

“We feel it is important to show off our churches — the architectural beauty of them, the beauty and what we have in our surrounding little towns and in Hays,” organizer Kathy Rome said.

“Two or three of us were riding and we were like ‘Hey, we ought to put together a ride. We could show off our churches in our communities and our German heritage,’ so that is how it started.”

Photos courtesy Hays Area Bicyclists

Fellow organizer Kay Werth said, “It is really a marriage between the wellness community, the Volga German culture and ethnic things and a little bit about the historical architectural structures in our area. In addition, we are promoting the music in our area.”

There will bike SAGs at each of the churches with free snacks and beverages. Volunteers will be on hand to offer church tours and answer questions about the architecture and history of the churches. Music will be provided at the churches by members of the Hays Symphony and Hays City Band.

The 100-mile route also includes Schoenchen and Antonino. These last two stops will be self-supported. No tours or SAGs will be offered at those stops.

The event wraps up at the Downtown Pavilion with a German meal and music from the Tim Anthony Band, which is included in the registration. Beer will be available for those 21 or older. Registration includes two drink tickets.

The entry fee is $20 for the fun ride and $45 for the distance rides through the June 10 early-bird deadline. Fees after June 10 will be $25 for the fun ride and $55 for the distance rides. Registration also includes a free T-shirt and a swag bag from the Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau, which will contain promotional items and special offers from local businesses.

T-shirts and meal tickets are available for extra guests and family members and can be ordered with your registration.

The event already has bicyclists registered from as far away as Kansas City. The event is hoping for at least 50 riders in this first year.

Werth and Rome said organizers hope a portion of the proceeds for the ride can be used to keep the ride going in subsequent years. The ride would also like to make a donation this year to St. Fidelis Church, Basilica of the Plains parish in Victoria for upkeep of the church.

Registration starts at 6:30 a.m. with the main ride starting at 7:30 a.m. The fun ride will begin at 9 a.m. and run along the Big Creek dam through the FHSU campus. The fun ride will be family-oriented and include a short presentation from local law enforcement on bicycle safety. See below for a complete schedule.

Those who are younger than 18 will need to have a parent ride with them for the main ride. Children younger than 12 must be accompanied by a parent on the fun ride.

You can register online at www.haysareabicyclists.org. More information is also available online at www.facebook.com/haysareabicyclists/ or call the Downtown Hays Development Corp. at 785-621-4171.

The ride is sponsored by the Hays CVB, DHDC, Auto World, Midwest Energy, Werth Wealth Management, HaysMed and Northwestern Printers, Inc.