ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The city’s Rotary clubs are preparing to welcome good weather and more normal activities after a year of COVID-19 by combining outdoor fun with raising money for a good cause.

A bike-a-thon is set for 10 a.m. May 1 at Barkcamp State Park near Belmont. It will benefit the World Bicycle Relief organization, which helps people in impoverished countries by providing bicycles where they can make a difference.

Keith Fulton, a Rotarian and avid bicyclist, said for much of the world, bicycles are not merely luxuries for recreation.

“Most of our donations that we make in fundraising goes toward projects in the Ohio Valley, but every year we do one international project, and this year we’re raising money for the World Bicycle Relief. It’s an international organization that provides durable bikes for people in Third World countries to access health care and education. These are people in remote villages that need some form of transportation. What we’re trying to do is raise money to purchase 50 of these bikes, to be donated by the World Bike Relief for some of these people.”

He said the bicycles themselves are designed to carry large amounts over difficult terrain.

“Schools are far away, even drinking water,” Fulton said. “These are purpose-built … they call them buffalo bikes. They’re very durable. They have a rack on there where you can strap on stuff that you’re carrying.”

Fulton added that a bicycling event is the perfect draw for people who have been shut in during the pandemic’s winter months.

“We’re hoping for an in-person event, but right now Ohio has restrictions in their state parks for organized events, so we’re hoping those restrictions are lifted,” he said. “If not, it might be what we call a virtual event where we just encourage people to do this on their own.”

Fulton said Barkcamp State Park is ideal.

“It has access to a lot of different bike runs for riding. We want to encourage everything for avid riders to come out,” he said. “We have a loop at the beach parking lot for families that’s about a third of a mile. … There’s also some mountain bike trails there where we’ll take people out, show them the mountain bike trails and what the park has to offer.”

He said the Ohio Valley Trail Association is also opening up back roads trails, with maps of gravel roads and country roads from Barkcamp into the surrounding area.

“We’re just going to celebrate the bikes and hopefully raise some money for this international effort,” he said.

The goal is to raise $7,350 to purchase 50 bicycles.

Fellow Rotarian Kirke Porterfield said the initiative is expected among Rotarians.

“That’s one nice thing about Rotary,” he said. “Somebody has an idea for a project and they take off and go with it.”

For more information or to register, visit worldbicyclerelief.org.