Melanie Fisher knew money for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bend summer mountain biking camp would eventually run out.

The camp, which started in 2010, was one of several cycling-related programs funded by money left over at the conclusion of the Bend’s Big Fat Tour, an annual three-day nonprofit event. And when the volunteer-organized tour was discontinued after the 2012 event, Fisher, a member of the tour’s steering committee, suggested that the remaining money be saved for the mountain bike camp.

“We still had about $6,000 in the bank,” said Fisher, who was the owner of Cog Wild Mountain Bike Tours at the time. “I had been the guide for some of (the camp), and seeing some kids out in nature and running around on bikes, it was the best part of their summer. So to take that away just because the event was ending — keeping the camp just seemed non-negotiable to me.”

The camp has scraped by on that $6,000 for the past five summers, but Fisher said the fund has finally run dry, putting this year’s camp in jeopardy.

“About two months ago, I brought (the BGCB) a check for $367 dollars saying, OK, this is it, we’re really at the end,” Fisher said.

She estimates that BGCB needs to raise at least $2,500 by the time the school year ends to guarantee a camp this summer, but a total of $10,000 would allow the camp to continue for several years.

The three-day camp takes 12 BGCB kids at a time out to trails all around Central Oregon. Mountain bikes, helmets and water bottles are provided, and the campers are accompanied by a BGCB counselor and a mountain bike guide, which are paid positions. The camp is offered multiple times throughout the summer so that more BGCB members can participate, and there is no additional cost for kids who are already signed up for the Boys & Girls Club summer program. The camp is open to kids ages 8 to 14, although older bikers are allowed if they are still small enough to fit on the youth bikes.

Brandy Richardson, operations director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bend, said the club does take kids on field trips during the summer, but the mountain bike camp is the only multiday sports program that takes kids off-site. She estimates that 650 kids have taken part since the camp was introduced in 2010.

“I love that the kids get to get outside and be in nature,” Richardson said. “I love that they’re learning bike skills, and that some of them have never been on a mountain bike, so they’re gaining those skills. I love to hear how excited they are when they get back. They’re all super tired, but they’re super excited and they’ve had fun. And they are gaining confidence in their skills, being out on bikes.”

Brian Morris said he liked the camp because he felt like he had more freedom on the trails than he typically has at the club or at home.

“My family has a rule: If you’re biking by yourself, stay in the front yard,” the 10-year-old said. “I like the mountain biking camp better than being in the club during the summer, because you aren’t inside and having to be in a certain area at a certain time.”

Morris and William Demello, another 10-year-old BGCB mountain bike camp alum, both said that the group rides can be a bit chaotic, as some kids are more eager to ride ahead and others are just learning how to navigate the trails.

“I hope we go to Phil’s Trail again and we have time to jump a lot more,” said Demello, who has returned to Phil’s Trail since the camp on rides with his family. “I learned how to jump safely, so I did that with my family. So that was pretty fun.”

Morris and Demello both have bikes of their own and opportunities to ride throughout the year, but Fisher said the camp is important because the same is not true for all Bend kids.

“Sometimes us locals take it for granted, the huge trail network that we have and being able to afford bikes,” Fisher said.

— Reporter: 541-383-0305, vjacobsen@bendbulletin.com