Mountain Charlie Challenge rides on

The annual Mountain Charlie Challenge bicycle race is back for an eighth year after nearly being canceled last spring.
After seven consecutive rides, organizers from the Scotts Valley Educational Foundation simply ran out of energy and were ready to let go of the 100-kilometer
and 50-kilometer rides unless new blood stepped to the plate.
Aura Clendenen and Mike Rein were just the people for the job.
“When we heard the challenge was going to die because the group of volunteers who had worked so hard to keep it going for seven years had reached the end of their energies, we stepped forward,” Rein said.   
Helped along by race founder and SVEF president Charlotte Multer, Rein and Clendenen have 50 volunteers signed up for the April 24 ride, and they expect 80 in total.
Rein said they hope to generate more than $30,000 for the foundation, money that will support the four public schools in Scotts Valley.
As part of the effort, the group is selling raffle tickets for $10 each and collecting raffle prizes from retailers around the city.
For information or
to register: www.svef.net/events/mt-charlie
-challenge.