Looking for something new and different to do, close to home? The Visiting Nurse Association of Porter County will sponsor Lorie's Ride on Saturday, June 26, 2010. Experienced riders, novices, individuals, groups and families are invited to explore the solitude of shaded country roads, vistas of rolling farmland, and prairies covered with native wildflowers as they bike through the Indiana Dunes and countryside on marked routes. 
Lorie's Ride, formerly known as the Casual Coast and Country Bicycle Tour, was renamed in memory of Lorie Kirkley, a cardiac rehabilitation nurse at Porter and an avid cyclist. Lorie was abducted from her home and died in 1999. Proceeds from the ride will benefit the programs and services of the Visiting Nurse Association in Lorie's memory.
Riders can choose their ride distance, ranging from 14 - 100 miles using four intersecting loops of approximately 14, 25, 38 and 62 miles. Registration includes a continental breakfast, route map, food at unique rest stops along the route, roadside emergency assistance if needed, and lunch. Riders can even receive free registration and a free t-shirt if they obtain pledges or make a tax-deductible donation of $100 or more. Participants may also create a personalized webpage at www.firstgiving.com/vnaportercounty to send to family and friends to let them know about the event.
Lorie's Ride begins at Westchester Intermediate School, off Indiana 49, 1050 S. 5th St., in Chesterton, Indiana.
On-site registration at the school is from 7 am - Noon CST. The ride will end at 5 pm. You may register online at www.firstgiving.com/vnaportercounty or visit the VNA's website at www.vnaportercounty.org for more information and a printable registration form. Registration for the ride is $35. Children 12 and under ride for free as long as they are accompanied by an adult. Helmets are required for all riders.
Top 2010 Lorie's Ride sponsors include Family Express, MacLennan & Bain Insurance, Porter and Urschel Laboratories.
For more information or to pre-register by phone, please contact the Visiting Nurse Association at 219-462-5195.
Photo: Riders take a break at the Art Barn in Valparaiso, one of the unique rest stops along Lorie's Ride.