PEGGY ANTHONY photo Elgin High School students paint the communitys E Tuesday morning. The students shown are Kyle Ludwig, right; Seaira Reid, in the green shirt; Rachael Jones in the red hat and Morgan Reid, left. The students are all members of Elgin High Schools Future Business Leaders of America chapter.

Elgin will display added sparkle when 2,000 riders roll into the community for Cycle Oregon next month.

Members of Elgin High School’s Future Business Leaders of America chapter are making sure of it.

And putting their fitness to the test in the process.

Chapter members made a steep hike Tuesday morning to help give Elgin a gleam that will impress Cycle Oregon riders. Elgin will be the starting and ending point of the 23rd annual ride, which runs Sept. 11-18.

Bicyclists will have an easier time seeing Elgin’s hillside “E” thanks to the efforts of the FBLA. Tuesday morning, seven FBLA students hiked to the E, which is on a northeast hillside and made of large stones. The students spent two to three hours painting, removing weeds and trimming brush at the E site.

How steep is the climb to it?

“It is straight up,” said Elgin FBLA Chapter Adviser Peggy Anthony, who accompanied the EHS students on their trek to the E.

The FBLA group carried a total of 10 gallons of paint up the hill plus pruners and mops that were used for painting. Work on the E was needed because the white paint had faded and there had been considerable vegetation growth.

“Weeds and brush had grown over the rocks,” Anthony said.

Cleaning and refurbishing the E is an annual FBLA project. Anthony wanted to make sure the work was done this year prior to Cycle Oregon. The students knew their work had made a difference after they returned to Elgin and could look up at the E.

“It gave us a lot of satisfaction. I looked up and thought ‘Wow, we did that,”’ said Rachael Jones, president of the Elgin FBLA chapter.

Jones worked at the E with Anthony and FBLA chapter members Kyle Ludwig, Andrew Naughton, Kimberly Graffunder, Taylor Luse, Seaira Reid and Morgan Reid.

Earlier this month the FBLA chapter took another step toward helping to prepare for Cycle Oregon by picking up litter along a 2 1/2-mile portion of Highway 82 just south of Elgin. The segment is one the chapter is in charge of keeping clean and works at twice a year.

The Elgin FBLA chapter members also refurbished the pocket park at Elgin’s northeast entrance earlier this month. The students pulled and sprayed for weeds. Later this month FBLA students will refurbish the “Leaving Elgin” sign at the park.

“We want to make Elgin look nice,” Jones said.

About 2,000 Cycle Oregon participants will ride past Elgin’s refurbished park when they leave the community on Sept. 12 for the start of their tour. The cyclists will travel to Enterprise their first day. They will return to Elgin Sept. 18 after having ridden between 357 and 457 miles.

This year’s Cycle Oregon is named “Let ‘Er Bike, The Round-Up Ride.” The name reflects the day scheduled to be spent in Pendleton during the Pendleton Round-Up. Following is a summary of the ride:

Sept. 12 – Elgin to Enterprise, 44 miles.

Sept. 13 – Enterprise to Clarkston, Wash., 84 miles.

Sept. 14 – Clarkston to Waitsburg, Wash., 82 miles.

Sept. 15 – A layover day in Waitsburg, a 45-mile ride will be optional.

Sept. 16 – Waitsburg to Pendleton, 72 miles.

Sept. 17 – A layover day in Pendleton, 55-mile ride will be optional.

Sept. 18 – Pendleton to Elgin, 75 miles. Riders will cycle on Highway 204 through Weston and Tollgate en route to Elgin.