The staff of Harvey's-Swiss Chalet set the bar high last year, when the 30-person contraption made its debut in Waterdown, earning the Heart & Stroke Foundation's Spirit Award and raising $3,025 for the 2007 campaign. This time around, the bar is going up another notch, said Kayla Hewitt, who manages the Dundas Street East eatery and is again organizing the Harvey's Big Bike team.

"Our goal is $3,500. We're raising it by $500 this year," she said, noting that this time around, the team itself will actually be a little smaller. But that doesn't mean the members won't be going all out to make the day a success.

"Last year, we were The Originals, and we had leis, a chant crew that did call and response songs and sang the Harvey's theme song, and we had a sign crew - a couple of our associates here are very artistic," said Hewitt. "We wanted to get as many people as possible involved. We had just hired and it was a very good way of getting the new hires acquainted with us."

This year, Hewitt wants to challenge other Big Bike teams - namely, riders from the neighbouring Sobeys store who often come in for a bite to eat - to top their pledges for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. If they're up for it, though, they'd better get moving. "One staff member has already asked for another pledge sheet," said Hewitt. "She's already raised $230."

Amanda Martin, area co-ordinator for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, runs the Big Bike event for the Hamilton office. She noted that it's the enthusiasm of participants like the Harvey's team that help make the day a success.

"There were nine event days in the Hamilton region last year; Waterdown made almost $14,000," she noted. "It was our highest event day in Hamilton."

Martin explained that when it came to awarding the Spirit Award for the day, there was no question who would win.

"They went all out - they had Big Bike spirit," she said. "We have a list of suggestions on how to make the day a success - and they did everything on the list. They really embraced it."

Martin noted that ten teams have already signed on to pedal around town on May 20, which pretty much fills up the Big Bike for the day. In addition to Harveys and Sobeys, Waterdown Curves, Dundas Curves, RONA, Zellers, Boston Pizza, Mill Street Dental and the School Sisters of Notre Dame will be among the teams who will ride the route. But there will always be room for anyone who wants to boost a good cause, she said.

"We can accept sponsorships, donations...there are all sorts of ways to support the Big Bike," she said. "Since it's run at the local level, we can get creative how we work with people. We're also looking for volunteers."

For the Harveys team, the Big Bike has been a positive experience all around.

"It was hard to juggle the two, because you're tired after work but you have to be pumped up," she admitted of the work involved in organizing the team. "But it was a great, great, day. Everyone was excited and we all worked together. It was good teamwork.

"It's such a goofy-looking bike, how can you not goof off and have fun? And it's for a great cause, too."

The Big Bike will leave the host business, Turtle Jack's, at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, May 20 and will travel across Hamilton Street to Dundas Street, east to Mill Street, north to Main Street then back across Dundas Street and Hamilton Street to the Waterdown Shopping Centre.

For the Harvey's team, the Big Bike project has been a positive experience all around, said Hewitt.

"It was hard to juggle the two, because you're tired after work but you have to be pumped up," she admitted of the work involved in organizing the team. "But it was a great, great, day. Everyone was excited and we all worked together. It was good teamwork.

"It's such a goofy-looking bike, how can you not goof off and have fun? And it's for a great cause, too."

The Big Bike will leave the host business, Turtle Jack's, at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, May 20 and will travel across Hamilton Street to Dundas Street, east to Mill Street, north to Main Street then back across Dundas Street and Hamilton Street to the Waterdown Shopping Centre.