Jump on your bike, lace up your shoes, assemble your team, and #DotheLoop for youth
The 3rd annual Do the Loop takes to the streets and trails of Greater Victoria September 17 – 23, 2023, and we hope it will be better than ever! This exciting event encourages supporters to recruit or join a team, fundraise support, and complete an active loop in support of youth.
While the initial loop is a 25km bike loop of the City of Victoria, past participants have cycled, walked, run, relayed, ice skated, roller-bladed, and more. However YOU like to move through Greater Victoria is a chance to Do the Loop!
This year, proceeds from Do the Loop will support Threshold Housing’s innovative Family and Natural Supports program, an early intervention in preventing youth homelessness.
OPEN: August 1 – September 23, 2023
COST: $25* (sliding scale available for those who need it)
DATES: Do the Loop Sunday, September 17 to Saturday, September 23rd, 2023
* Registration fees help us cover the costs associated with running the event. They are not tax-deductible.
All registrants will receive their own mini-donations page on our RaceRoster site, which makes it easy to share your support of Threshold Housing Society and to invite others to join your team or to make a donation through your page.
Your participant welcome kit includes messages and imaging to help get you started, but it’s really your story – let people know why YOU support Threshold.
Ask your friends, family and circle to donate towards your Do The Loop! You can set a fundraising goal and raise as much or as little as you feel comfortable with. All contributions have an impact.
Again this year we are grateful to have every dollar of the first $20,000 raised matched by the JAYMAC II Fund through the Victoria Foundation.
Do the Loop has its own social media channels. Click the icons to connect.
Remember to use the hashtag #DotheLoop so we can celebrate you!
While we are here any time to help you recruit your team, fundraise, and get the most out of Do the Loop, we’ve pulled some initial information together to help you get started.
Participant Information Package: Click here
Not in Victoria? Not sure about cycling 25km? Just like to do your own thing? We LOVE that for you! Here are a few suggestions from prior Do the Loops, or tell us on social media how you plan to get active for youth.
In 2021, a good friend and neighbour of Threshold Housing, then Executive Director of the South Jubilee Neighbourhood Association Matt Dell, decided to do something to get people outside, building community, while still keeping safe in the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. In that first year, 143 Do the Loopers raised $28,217 in support of Threshold.
Since Matt was running for city council in 2022, Do the Loop was handed over to Threshold Housing to run. With the generosity of the community and our matching donor (the JAYMAC II fund at the Victoria Foundation), 47 participants raised just over $40,000 specifically for Threshold’s in-house counselling program.
Every donor, participant, team captain and sponsor has made a huge contribution to youth lives. And we will forever be grateful to Matt for his vision in starting Do the Loop.
We want everyone to have fun and feel safe participating in Do the Loop, whether you walk with assistance or barrel down trails on a mountain bike.
Participants can do the official 25km route along the City of Victoria’s scenic border, the 25km Capital Bike sponsored safe-cycling route (great for kids, families, or new bikers), or a route of their own creation anywhere in the city, country, or world!
“Official” loops
Shorter Loops in Greater Victoria
Start your loop at any location and go either direction – it’s YOUR loop.
Please track you loop, so we can share it online! Participants can use their cellphone or smart watch to track their route, using an app such as Strava, Map My Run, Runkeeper or any other program.
Upload your mapped movement or a selfie on socials and use the #DoTheLoop. Or email your loop to dotheloop@thresholdhousing.ca
Ensure your helmet is properly fitted on your head so it can protect you. Use the 2V2 rule:
Ride at least 1m from the curb when on the road, and 1.5m from any parked cars to avoid the “door zone.” This makes you more visible to other road users and gives you room to move around any hazards.
When following a bicycle, maintain 3 seconds of space.
On multi-use paths such as Dallas Road or the Galloping Goose, give plenty of space when passing people walking.
Alert them politely with your bell or voice when passing. Slow down in busier areas of the trail.
Avoid weaving or swerving, and use hand signals when intending to turn, slow, or stop.
Though the main loop begins and ends at the Downtown Bike Valet, you may wish to lock your bike during a stop along the way.
Use a sturdy “U-lock” or folding lock to lock the bike frame and one wheel to a bike rack, rather than a cable lock, which is easier to cut.
Try to lock your bike in a high-traffic area around other bikes to discourage theft, and remove any accessories such as lights or bags from your bike.
Please reach out if you want to get involved, make a donation, or have questions
Huge thanks to our amazing supporters for their help spreading the word about Do the Loop, donating prizes, hosting information tables, creating routes, and more. Supporting youth is always a community in action.
