Group to bicycle from Havre to Rocky Boy and back

You’ll see a lot of bicyclists on the road between Montana State University-Northern and Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation Wednesday.

The cyclists will take part in the first Rocky Boy Tour de Cure, a bike ride that organizer Ruth Burleigh said she hopes will serve two purposes

• It will will raise money for the fight against diabetes. Rates of diabetes are spreading like wildfire throughout Montana, she said, and is especially bad on Indian reservations.

• It will provide an example of the way to avoid diabetes. Bike riding is one of the best ways to stay in shape and avoid getting Type 2 diabetes later in life, she said.

Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. in Northern’s back parking lot, the one directly opposite Northern Montana Hospital, said Burleigh, the diabetes coordinator at Fort Belknap Indian Reservation.

There will be a 54-mile route that goes to Rocky Boy and back to Northern. A 66-mile loop will go to Rocky Boy, to Haystack and then returning to Northern.

At the start, there will be an honor song before bicyclists take off.

There will be stops along the way, with glucose checks for diabetic bicyclists, she said. Food and water will be available at each of the stops.

After the participants get back to Havre, there will be a healthy dinner.

Native and white bicyclists are encouraged to take part in the fun and fundraising, she said.

The money will be used for scholarships, so young people can attend special camps to help them prevent diabetes by encouraging healthy lifestyles.

She encourages people along the route to stand at sidewalks and cheer the bicyclists as they pass by. The course will be fun for the bikers, she said, but it also will be challenging, especially given the heat.

Burleigh said the Tour de Cure program was started by the American Diabetes Association. The rides have been held throughout Montana, but none have been offered in this part of the Hi-Line or in Indian Country until one was held in Lodge Pole in Fort Belknap last month.

Since this is the firston the Havre to Rocky Boy route, Burleigh has no idea how many people to expect, but she was pleased with the turnout at Fort Belknap.