Greater Houlton Christian Academy bike-a-thon Saturday

Greater Houlton Christian Academy (GHCA) will hold its annual bike-a-thon and spaghetti supper on Saturday, May 31. Funds from the events are used to support GHCA’s operating budget.
“The annual fund meets the gap between our budgeted expenses and what is paid in tuition,” said John Bishop, head of school. “Each year staff and parents contribute their time and support to fundraisers like this one, with a goal to help make tuition to GHCA as affordable as possible for as many families as possible.”
The bike-a-thon is GHCA’s largest annual fundraiser.
“Community support for our kids is tremendous,” explained Bishop. “This is one event where our kids work harder than their parents! We try to make it fun and create incentives that encourage their participation.”
This year, any net proceeds raised above $20,000 will be again used to help pay for the new gym floor, which had to be replaced due to significant water damage that occurred in early 2013.
There are several “tours” for participants to choose from. The Tour De Haynesville is 60 miles  and the Tour De Pitlock is 100 miles, and both begin at 7 a.m. at the Greater Houlton Christian Academy parking lot.
The Tour De Limerick is 20 miles on bike and starts at 8 a.m., while the Tour De Hodgdon, a 10-mile course begins at 9 a.m.
The Tour De Walk-A-Town is five miles, while the Tour De Scenic Way is a two- mile walk. Both walks begin at 9 a.m.
For safety reasons, pet owners are asked to take careful note along the GHCA bike-a-thon planned routes. Please make sure pets are leashed or housed from 7 a.m. to noon.
Also, drivers along these routes, please take extra caution with the increased amount of bike traffic on that Saturday. The shorter routes (10- and 20-mile) will cover the following roads:  White Settlement, Catalina,  Hodgdon Mills, Walker Road, Porter Settlement, Bangor and the County roads (three miles from town).
Other routes (60- and 100-mile) travel to Haynesville and parts of New Limerick.
The spaghetti supper will begin at 4:30 p.m. at the Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum. Cost of the supper is by donation and is open to the public.
GHCA is accepting applications for the 2014/15 school year. It has provided a Christian education to students from Aroostook County,  New Brunswick and overseas students for 30 years.
“We are excited about our 30th school anniversary,” said Bishop. “We look forward to showing our major building renovations during a community celebration this fall.”
For more information on the bike-a-thon or academy visit www.ghca.com or check out their Facebook page or call 532-0736.