Event chairperson Robin Sumrall and foundation director Alex Louden said Saturday’s Fifth Annual Tour de Whidbey bicycle ride to benefit the Whidbey General Hospital Foundation was a rousing success with 441 participants.

“About 20 people who entered didn’t make it over the ferry,” Louden said. “Of the others, 175 of them registered for the 100-mile course, 155 for the half-century and 111 for the 25-mile ride.”

Participants came from all over the western United States and Canada, including riders from as far away as Florida and Utah.

The annual event was not just a tour in and around Whidbey Island by bicycle. It featured other attractions as well.

“We started off with a pancake breakfast had a marimba band and a chili feed going on all day. We also had an instructor from Aikido Seikikai in Oak Harbor who put on demonstrations for the kids,” Louden said.

Two of the final bicycle riders returning to Greenbank Farm were husband and wife, Diana and Rick Stephens from Snohomish.

“We rode the 100 miles for the second year in a row,” Rick Stephens said. “It’s a great ride, one of the most beautiful rides in Washington.”

It always takes a lot of volunteer help to make the tour a success and this year Ken Sousa from the Island County Amateur Radio Club played a major role in making things run smoothly.

While packing up his radio gear on the hill near the entrance to Greenbank Farm at about 5 p.m., Sousa said he had been out there all day. “We also had about 12 amateur radio operators working as part of the support staff. They monitored all the riders out on the course and ran communications at the rest stops to keep us updated,” Sumrall said.

Members of the Gold Wing Motorcycle Club also assisted in keeping the riders monitored and out of harm’s way.

“We all must have done a good job, nobody got hurt,” Sousa laughed.

“We had a wonderful turnout, the music was great and everyone had a good time,” Louden said.

“I especially enjoyed the music and wanted to go down there but if I did, I knew I wouldn’t be able to hear the radio,” Sousa said.

“It was a great event and we are already looking forward to next year,” Sumrall said.

Louden said the final figures for the amount of money raised haven’t been tabulated yet.

“We think we reached our goal and will be giving the remainder needed to purchase a SlimMan for emergency medical technicians and nurse training, and purchase birthing beds for the Whidbey General Hospital Family Birthplace,” she said.