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Thirty-four miles on a mountain bike is not really that far. Not when there’s barbecue and a cold beverage awaiting you at the end of the ride, and not when every revolution of the wheel supports a Bitterroot Valley child who’s been placed in foster care due to abuse or neglect.

That’s the impetus behind the “Spokes & Suds” bike tour for CASA, scheduled for Saturday, June 21.

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) recruits and trains volunteers to act as advocates for minors who, for reasons ranging from parental neglect to delinquency, have fallen under court supervision. The volunteers advocate in court proceedings for the kids’ best interests, when they have nobody else to speak for them.

Last year, CASA instigated the Spokes & Suds event, with a demanding bike ride over Skalkaho Pass, ending at a brewery in Philipsburg. That proved to be too much of a challenge for most riders, so this year they scaled it back, CASA volunteer Caleb Senn working with program director Julie Crane to craft a route that shows off some of the valley’s finest scenery, without overtaxing the legs.

While the new route doesn’t end at a brewery, in keeping with the “Spokes & Suds” theme, they’ll tap a brew from Hamilton’s Higherground Brewery at the finish line.