WINONA LAKE — Enjoy a leisurely bike ride and beer to raise money to build wells in Central African Republic by participating in the Winona Lake Tour de Brew.

On Saturday, July 23, Winona Lake will be hosting a Tour de Brew consisting of 10, 20 or 50 mile bike rides with proceeds going to Water For Good. The rides will begin at the Trail house in Winona Lake and will conclude at the beer garden in Cerulean in Winona Lake. Donations for participating in the ride will begin at $20 up to $75. Depending on how much is donated, participants can receive different awards such as mud love bands and beers from the garden.

Tour de Brews have occurred in other cities throughout the country, but Winona Lake has yet to host such an event until now. Bailey Berelsman is heading up this event in Winona Lake. Berelsman is a part of the Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy (KYLA), comprised of students from area schools who have demonstrated leadership qualities.

Students in the KYLA program must complete a “Project Proud”, which consists of spending a minimum of 10 hours towards a community project. Berelsman decided that for his project he wanted to help raise money for Water For Good. Berelsman was in contact with Water For Good, and in conjunction with the organization, decided to host a local Tour de Brew. Berelsman is in charge of charting the bike route and planning this community event.

Water for Good builds wells in the Central African Republic. The goal of the organization is not to simply give the country wells, but rather to help them become a “self-sustaining community,” said Berelsman.