Even rainy weather does not stop residents of the Seattle area from peddling.

On Memorial Day, more than 1,200 bike-riders from all over the Puget Sound area gathered at Marina Park in Kirkland to participate in the 7 Hills of Kirkland ride.

7 Hills of Kirkland is an annual fundraising event that has been held for more than a decade to support the homeless community in King County. The event was put on by KITH (Kirkland Interfaith Transitions in Housing), a charity that helps homeless people.

KITH provides transitional housing to individuals and families who are homeless until they can find permanent housing. KITH currently owns 32 apartments in Kirkland and Bellevue, according to Jennifer Barron, executive director of KITH.

The 7 Hills of Kirkland is one of the largest annual fundraising events for KITH, and it is crucial for sustaining their services.

Barron said they were “hoping to raise $70,000” at Monday’s event.

“Cycling is a great way for the community to get involved, to learn about KITH, and to know that we are doing something good,” Barron said.

The event raised funds through participants’ registration fees, donations, jersey sales and sponsorships. Riders who registered on the day of the event paid $50 to $60, depending on the routes they chose. Those who pre-registered early by mail or online saved up to $20. Participants had three choices of routes: 7 Hills (40 miles), Metric Century (60 miles), or Century (100 miles).

The beautiful pastoral views along these routes were one of the biggest attractions for participants.

“I liked all the scenery. Once you are outside of the city, you are out in the farmland. It was really cool,” said Zachary Lafave, who recently started riding a bicycle.

Some riders got to visit parts of the Kirkland area that they’d never seen before.

“It is an organized activity (with the) trail mapped,” said Stacey Jehlik, a Seattle resident. “They got the road marked for you, so you know exactly where to go. You may be learning a new route. This is a once-a-year fundraiser and fun to do it with other people.”

The Century route (100 miles) could be challenging for riders who have not participated in such a long ride before.

“I feel OK now since it’s over. But last 50 miles, I wasn’t feeling too OK,” said Gary Winberg, who rode the Century route in this event for the first time.

One of the favorite features of 7 Hills of Kirkland are the food stops.

“I liked the food the best. They gave us real food like baked potatoes. The food was awesome,” said Nikolay Nachev, who completed the 100 mile route.

A wide range of riders participated in the event: from beginners to experts, from local Kirkland residents to visitors from around the region, and from a 9-year-old to a couple in their 70s. Many people rode together in a team, often with family or friends.

“It’s a lot of fun for the family. We have three generations participating,” said Laura Fisher, whose whole family rode, including a grandfather.

More than 80 volunteers and the city of Kirkland worked together to make a safe environment for riders.

“This is one of the most amazing events just because there are so many volunteers and the community comes together,” said Barron.

The 7 Hills of Kirkland is scheduled to take place again next Memorial Day in 2014.

“I believe as long as there are homeless families in our community the committee will keep holding this event,” said Christine Rose, development director of KITH.

Eunbi Cho is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory.

The entire Fisher family participated in the 7 Hills of Kirkland on Monday. EUNBI CHO/UW News Lab