Dear Editor,

A huge and heartfelt thank you from the team at Prospera Credit Union to the communities of the Fraser Valley, especially the Township of Langley, Fort Langley and the City of Abbotsford, the Kwantlen and Sumas First Nations, our riders, volunteers, and the many cycling enthusiasts who came out to cheer everyone on.

We appreciate your wonderful support of the inaugural Prospera Valley GranFondo on July 22.

You helped us provide a unique and challenging experience for nearly 1,200 cyclists, many of whom trained through the rainy West Coast weather in order to test their endurance against either the 80km or the 160km route through the spectacular Fraser Valley.

"Prospera Credit Union is committed to making our communities healthier and stronger and we are proud to partner with local organizations to showcase all that the Fraser Valley has to offer," said Prospera Credit Union's President and CEO, Bruce Howell. "We'd like to thank Canadian Velo Event Management Society for the amazing job they have done in putting together this epic event and we are extremely happy to be supporting our charity partner Special Olympics BC and all of the valuable programs they offer in our communities."

"More than a year ago, a group of cycling buddies got to talking on a ride about how we really should have a mass cycling event like a GranFondo in the Fraser Valley," said Canadian Velo Event Management Society's President and Manager, Jeffrey Hansen-Carlson. "The more we talked, the more excited we got about making it happen, so we got busy. Once we had buy-in from Prospera Credit Union and a few other sponsors and community groups, it didn't take long for us to realize that this crazy idea was going to happen. Which just shows you what you can accomplish when you set your mind to it. We couldn't have done it alone, without local community groups, governments and everyone in the cycling community that got behind us. And this is just year one, it's going to get bigger and it's going to get better."

"We are honoured to be selected as the charity partner of the Prospera Valley GranFondo," said Special Olympics BC President and CEO, Dan Howe. "This community event aligns perfectly with the core values of Special Olympics BC, celebrating inclusion, sport and healthy lifestyles. There are more than 3,900 Special Olympics BC athletes throughout the province, and this event will support the year-round sport programs through which they experience joy and friendship and improve their health and skills. We are also excited that our long-time law enforcement partners are supporting this event."

A special thank you goes out to our First Nations communities who provided the beautiful finishing medals for those who made it across the finish line and an amazing feast for everyone to enjoy following the ride and also to all of the sponsors who made this event such a success.

We hope to see everyone next year.

Erin Nesci, Prospera