BEND, Ore. -- With apologies to Rogers and Hammerstein....The roads are alive with the sound of music (well, actually, it's the sound of chainrings buzzing, but you get the point.)

Hundreds of the nation's top professional cyclists are in town for the 31st Annual Cascade Cycling Classic -- index shifting, drafting, breaking away and peletonning all over the streets of Bend and Central Oregon in one Bend's most exciting and popular events.

The longest running road stage race in the country kicks off on Tuesday evening with a 2-mile prologue through the Old Mill District.  It ends on Sunday with the Awbrey Butte circuit race.

A champion will be crowned on Sunday, but the big winners locally are cycling fans and the Mount Bachelor Ski Education Foundation.

The non-profit agency stands to make about $60,000 this week after all is said and done -- on par with the annual ski swap it holds each fall.

"This is definitely the third largest (fundraiser) that we do," Chuck Kenlan, executive director for MBSEF, said Monday. "Again, from a PR standpoint, it does allow us to get our name out there, and let people in the community know who MBSEF is and what we do and what we do in the community."

What they do is teach cross-country and downhill skiing, snowboarding and road cycling to about 500 kids each year.

The money raised this week and at events like the Pole Pedal Paddle and yearly Ski Swap help provide scholarship money to many of the kids who participate.

It also helps the group defray travel expenses for the youth involved in competitive ski racing in the winter.

The event attracts the biggest names in both men's and women's' professional cycling -- well, the biggest names in cycling who aren't in Europe competing in the Tour de France.

Lance Armstrong and Levi Leipheimer are both past winners of the event. The races also feature many local pros trying to earn spots on major teams.

"It always attracts the top local professionals -- or national professionals," Kenlan said. "Some have ridden in Europe, or will go on to ride in Europe, and there's nothing like the downtown criterium on Saturday night, with 15,000 people screaming and yelling. You get to see some of the best athletes in the world right here in Bend, Oregon."

And while it's a big fundraiser for MBSEF, the race does wonders for the local economy, generating more than $1 million every year as cyclists, their staffs and cycling fans visit local restaurants and shops.

Mike Schindler, co-owner of Sunnyside Sports in Bend, said there's a different vibe in town during CCC week, and he enjoys the atmosphere in the shop during the races.

"I think it's nice to see people come in and buy road bikes, if they get inspired. But also, it's just nice to see people riding around and maybe not using their cars as much to do short errands," he said.