A major fundraiser for Ducks Unlimited.

The annual Ride to the Lake takes place Friday as cyclists trek from Winnipeg to Kenora.

Spokesperson Kevin McFadden says they started the ride seven years ago.

“This ride has actually turned into Ducks Unlimited Canada’s single largest fundraiser,” explains McFadden.

“We hope to raise $400,000 this year and we’ll have exceeded $1 million from this event.  So we’re pretty proud of that.”

McFadden says the ride helps support a number of the projects Ducks Unlimited is involved with.

“There is a misconception I think sometimes on what Ducks Unlimited Canada does.  We basically protect wetlands and the environment so that we can mitigate floodwaters and we can filter water to remove phosphates and nitrates and those sorts of things.  So clean water and the environment is our mandate.”

McFadden says they start bright and early in Winnipeg at 5 am and to wind up at the Jarnel Contracting Pavilion on the Kenora Harbourfront between 2 and 4 pm.