Tour de Tonka preview: 20th anniversary ride expects more than 800 cyclists, seeks 600 volunteers

Minnetonka Community Education previewed the 20th annual Tour de Tonka at the May 29 school board meeting, outlining routes, registration, volunteer needs and community partnerships for the Aug. 2 event.

"It is our twentieth year," Executive Director of Community Education Kim Carlson said, noting special anniversary merchandise and an archive display at the vendor fair. Carlson praised staff, police and municipal partners for planning the ride and emphasized safety.

Assistant Zach Mink told the board registration opened in March and the event had reached about 835 riders — a 7% increase from the comparable point last year — with participants coming from 16 states and 113 Minnesota cities. The event will offer five routes this year: 16, 24, 40, 58 and 100 miles. Mink said route planning is constrained by road construction and a reliance on local communities for permits and support: "we never wanna take for granted... the 4 counties and 25 cities that they welcome us."

Alyssa Peek, route captain coordinator, said volunteer needs were significant and that roughly 600 volunteers are needed to staff packet pickup, registration, route-captain duties and aid stations. The event has raised more than $100,000 for the ICA Food Shelf since 2006; staff said this year’s planning aims to increase that impact.

Carlson and staff thanked sponsors, police and city partners and invited community members to sign up via Volunteer Local; no board action was required for the preview.

The board expressed appreciation for staff work and asked questions about registration and volunteer signup.