Love music? Perfect. Dream of competing in the Tour de France one day? Even better.  Your training starts soon. Edwardsville Orchestra is hosting its fifth annual Tour de Strings fundraiser Sunday, Oct. 5, at Township Park at 1 p.m.

Whether you participate in the 10 mile bike ride or the 3 mile walk, the main idea is to support music. “A really important part is that the Scott Credit Union Representatives are there,” senior orchestra member Kathleen Browner said. “They give the orchestra boosters a generous amount of money each year and so we really get people out to support thanks to them.”

Food and raffle tickets for a new bike will be sold at the fundraiser. “We really encourage people to go and bring their friends because it really shows a support of music in our schools,” Browner said. “Some schools don’t have orchestras and, we want to positively represent the great program we have.”

Prospering since 2010, the bicycle-themed fundraiser continues to gather more participants each year. “We don’t want people just from orchestra to go,” Browner said. “It’s a community event.”

The money raised benefits all District 7 Orchestra groups, including the middle schools and elementary schools. “We use a lot of the money to purchase new instruments and fix broken ones since we have so many kids in the program,” junior orchestra member Kyndal Ward said. The money is also set aside for EHS Orchestra field trips such as going to the All State competition.

To participate in the event, ask any orchestra member to join his or her fundraiser sheet or stop by the orchestra room D.

“It’s expected that this will be our best fundraiser yet,” Ward said. “We hope to see many people there.”