Tour de Whidbey was a great success for Whidbey General Hospital’s foundation.

The event drew 436 riders. The bicyclists had the opportunity to see the beauty of Whidbey Island while on the 10-, 30-, 40-, 50- or 100-mile treks.

Helen Rideau, executive director of the foundation, said that the Century Ride, the 100-mile loop, was the most popular. It had people lining up before registration officially started.

“The 100-mile racers were the first ones in line,” Rideau said.

“It was fantastic.”

The fundraising goal for the event was $40,000, and though the organizers “haven’t got every nickel counted yet,” Rideau said, the results will “definitely go over $50,000.”

That, however, wasn’t the best result of Tour de Whidbey, she said.

“I think just getting to see all the faces of the volunteers and people getting to enjoy the bike ride (was my favorite),” Rideau said. “Seeing so many of them and having our island really be showcased in the way that it was is really great.”

The Tour drew participants not just from Washington state, but also from Texas, Georgia, Canada and elswhere, and the success of the event is owed a lot to the main sponsor of Tour de Whidbey, Rideau said.

“It just wouldn’t happen without our sponsors, so I would really like to give a pat on the back to Whidbey Island Bank,” Rideau said. “They committed almost a year ago, giving us the thumb’s up.

“It’s those kinds of things that make us move forward and gather other sponsors.”

Money raised during the Tour de Whidbey will go toward a new Orthopedic Arthroscopy Tower at Whidbey General Hospital.

The tower will allow for more orthopedic surgeries, a priority for the department because the number of patients and patient needs in that area of medical treatment have increased.