by Loyd Brumfield of Cedar Hill TODAY

All but a few loose ends are left to be tied up for the Rotary Club of Cedar Hill, which hosts its first Head for the Hills Bike Rally on May 12 - a ride that starts at Cedar Hill High School and stretches from Ellis to Johnson counties.

All but a few loose ends are left to be tied up for the Rotary Club of Cedar Hill, which hosts its first Head for the Hills Bike Rally on May 12 - a ride that starts at Cedar Hill High School and stretches from Ellis to Johnson counties.

The club doesn't know how many riders will eventually enter, but based on preliminary signups, the number could be somewhere in the neighborhood of 700-800, rally organizer Judy Pluto said.

“We've got more than 200 preregistered riders,” said Pluto, the only Rotarian who is an active cyclist. “Based on previous events, about a third of the riders typically register in advance.”

The event serves as the club's main charity fundraiser for organizations such as the Cedar Hill Food Pantry and the Zula B. Wylie Library.

The race offers three courses for riders of varying skills: a 21-mile course, 41-mile route and a 64-mile route.

Each route, starting with the longest first, tips off at 15-minute intervals beginning at 8:15 a.m. from Cedar Hill High School. All three courses should be closed by 3 p.m.

“We're getting close to 100 volunteers for this event,” Pluto said of the labor-intensive rally. “The community has really come through.”

The city gave the Rotary club $15,000 last year as an initial investment, and Rotarians have raised $18,000 more through fundraisers.

The club raised enough money to put on a “first-class event,” Pluto said.

“The fundraising had such a short window, but it went fantastic,” she said.

Organizing the rally went more smoothly than she expected.

“I'm the only person with any cycling background who knew anything about putting on a rally like this,” she said. “But there's been a group of about 6-8 of us who have taken on this responsibility and ran with it.”

The organizers meet almost daily, and Pluto meets regularly with the Cedar Hill Police Department for planning sessions.

Other police departments along the routes, including Midlothian, Waxahachie and Maypearl have all cooperated, Pluto said.

“A lot of them act surprised when we say we want to come through there, but they've all been very helpful,” she said.

Emergency management personnel from Ellis County will also be on alert during the rally in case any accidents occur, and a network of ham radio operators will keep communications open, Pluto said.

The race features six rest stops, counting the starting line and finish line, manned by various sponsors with food, refreshments and cool-down materials.

Volunteers will put out directional signs around Cedar Hill the night before and will report to the high school early in the morning to set up the staging area.

Cyclists from all over Texas have registered early, with several coming from the Best Southwest.

“That surprised me,” Pluto said. “I had no idea there were so many active cyclists around here.”

At least one rider is coming from out of state - New Jersey.

“We can't figure that one out,” Pluto said. “We think maybe someone's coming down to visit their mother or something.”

What do you think?