For Marion resident Terrence Lee, one of the virtues of the Buzzards Bay Watershed Ride is that he doesn’t have to stuff his shirt full of food.

“When you go 75 miles, you’ve got to eat. So you can stuff a bunch of fruit in your shirt or do something like this where I’m sure you can stop every 15 to 20 miles and have a smorgasbord,” said Lee.

With support vans, water, and lunch stops along the way and a party at the end, Buzzards Bay Coalition Vice President Maureen Coleman said, “It’s really supposed to be fun and not a race.”

The goal of the ride is to raise awareness about Buzzards Bay and the needs of its watershed, and raise money for the Buzzards Bay Coalition’s work to protect it.

Sunday, October 14, marked the sixth year of the bike ride, which began at Horseneck Beach in Westport and ended at Quissett Harbor in Woods Hole. A total of 147 cyclists participated, and raised approximately $68,000.

“There’s incredible diversity in the ecosystems that they’re literally pedaling right through,” said Coleman. “It builds awareness of how beautiful and how fragile those ecosystems are.”

Riders traversed cranberry bogs, working waterfronts, coastal scenery and woods on their trip.

And with the option to bike 35 miles, Coleman said the ride draws a mix of people.

“We end up with people who jump in at the last minute up to pretty serious cyclists who are doing it very quickly,” she said.

For Lee, this will be his third biking fundraiser in as many weeks, but this one hits close to home.

“We live about three blocks from the Sippican Harbor,” said Lee. “We’ve interacted with the bay significantly, not to mention the fact that we drink water from the watershed and we enjoy the environment. It’s a very important cause.”

Lee and the other participants were all asked to raise a minimum of $300 for the ride that will go to the Coalition’s work. The number of cyclists and the funds raised set new records for the event, the Coalition reported.

“This is one way it really builds awareness and support,” said Coleman. “People reach out to family and friends. They’re advocates."

Lee, a member of the Coalition since 2004, said he was excited about the race, which will also serve as training for his Boston Marathon run for the Red Cross in April.

“You don’t have to worry about getting lost, so you can just relax and enjoy the ride,” he said before the event. “My biggest difficulty will be getting my teenager out of bed to drive me there.”

For more information about the Buzzards Bay Coalition, visitwww.savebuzzardsbay.org.