February 21/06 8:07 am - Future Heroes Foundation to Support Youth Cycling in BC

Posted by Editoress on 02/21/06
 

BC Cyclists Launch Future Heroes Foundation to Support Youth Cycling
Courtesy Cycling BC

The Future Heroes Foundation has been launched by the BC cycling community in cooperation with Cycling BC, the provincial governing body for competitive cycling, to encourage and support young, up-and-coming, BC cyclists. Future Heroes has set its first goal to fund the Cycling BC Youth Awards.

Conceived in late 2005, the Future Heroes foundation has been launched with a mission of providing an ongoing legacy of monetary support for youth cycling in BC. Future Heroes has a comprehensive and multi-year view and plans to complement the many successful activities and programs already underway. As its first step, Future Heroes is focusing on raising an endowment to provide perpetual funding for the Cycling BC Youth Awards. This will reward performance and enhance the recognition of our successful youth cyclists, stimulating interest and competition.

To assist with funding the awards and allow Future Heroes to build its endowment, Future Heroes has received a multi year commitment for the first such award. The fund is rapidly building its endowment through the generous contributions of BC Cycling individuals and clubs. Annual proceeds from the endowment will fund the awards and provide a permanent ability to attract, support and recognize our youth cyclists. The ultimate goal of Future Heroes is to make BC the pre-eminent location for youth cycling in Canada.

"BC has achieved a tremendous legacy in international cycling achievement." Stated Tom Fawsitt, Cycling BC Executive Director. "Our long history of great champions ranges from Torchy Peden at the turn of last Century to the tremendous recent successes of Allison Sydor and Roland Green at the turn of this century. Cycling BC is very excited about this strong commitment from BC‚s cycling community. Support from the community is fundamental to building great programs."

Each year the Future Heroes Awards will be presented at the Cycling BC Awards Ceremony. Successful candidates will be selected based upon their performance success in the twelve months prior to the granting of the award. The first recipient of a Future Heroes Award was Micayla Gatto, bronze medalist at the 2005 Mountain Bike World Championships.