Community Bike Ride August 25

We've got the pictures! Check out the photo album here!

 

Overview

Sitka’s 2007 Community Bicycle Ride was a resounding success. While there have been community rides here in the past, this event marks the beginning of an annual initiative to bring a multitude of riders in Sitka to the streets for a fun-filled day including bicycle education, games, prizes, and, of course, riding!
Our goal was to get 150 riders to show their support for Sitka becoming a Bicycle-Friendly Community.  This goal not only was met, it was exceeded. Though we do not have an official count, we know that there were at least 250 community members who participated, and likely many more. 
Loaner bicycles and helmets were available to those who needed them. Yellow Jersey Cycle Shop held a sale on helmets, and many groups and individuals pitched in to make this a very special event.
Three new bicycles were raffled to participants as an incentive to participate. A variety of activities and events led up to the highlight of the day – the bicycle parade. Led by Mayor Marko Dapcevich and STA Tribal Chairman Woody Widmark, the parade circled through downtown and returned to Crescent Harbor. Prizes were given to “Most Reflective Rider” and also the catch-all “Wow” category. Names were drawn to determine winners for the bicycles. Finally, participants could choose between three group rides, each led by a parade marshal. There was a family ride, a mountain bike ride, and a road ride – something to suite anyone’s taste.

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Tables

Information tables and stations were set up to start the day. A certified bicycle mechanic provided bike safety checks and personalized bike maintenance clinics. A photo table took snapshots of riders with a “Make Sitka Bike Friendly” sign. The Sitka Police Department’s bike registration table registered 38 bikes.
There was also an exhibition of “exotic” bicycles, including recumbents, a chainless bike, a heavy-cargo bike, and a “dog-assisted” bike.
Mountain and cruiser bikes, as well as helmets, were available for anyone to borrow for the day through the courtesy of Sitka Bike and Hike. This gave some folks who were not even considering participating a chance to ride. One woman who was in the parade said, "I haven't been on a bike in 18 years ... I feel like a kid again."  
There were three bikes to be given as door prizes at the event – a child’s bike, a youth bike, and an adult bike. In order to have a chance to win one of the three bicycles, participants had to successfully complete an age-appropriate safety quiz. The table for this was conveniently located next to the bike safety information booth.
Two organizations in town also held special “members only” incentives – local art work was given as a door prize to those members of the Sitka Mountain Bike Association and Sitka Trail Works who registered at the event.
Also, the recently founded Tlingit and Friends bike club (a joint venture between the Sitka Tribe of Alaska, the Steps to a Healthier Southeast Alaska Program and the SEARHC Health Promotion and Diabetes Prevention Programs) made its debut and distributed information as well as member and ambassador applications.
Healthy snacks were donated the Galley Deli and rapidly devoured.

Live music by Trevor and the Jensen brothers also contributed to the festivities. In addition to playing traditional instruments, they also entertained the crowd by using bicycles as percussion instruments.

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Events

Two slowest-bike contests – one for youth and one for adults – led up to the parade. The competition at these was fierce, and slow. There were two melon drops – a helmet demonstration where two melons are dropped from six feet in the air. One of the melons has a bicycle helmet to protect it, the other doesn’t. Guess which melon fares better in the end.
	Two judges roamed the crowd searching for participants with costumes or other unique outfits for the coveted awards of “Most Reflective” and “Wow”. After the parade, there were three longer community rides to suite the tastes of our wide variety of riders. Each was led by a parade marshal, and included a road ride, a mountain bike ride, and a family ride.

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Of Note

This event received incredible promotional coverage and event coverage by our local media. Both the Sitka Sentinel and Raven Radio ran regular public service announcements and news features up to the event, and both were on hand to report at the event itself. Additionally, Northstar Television was on hand to film the event for airing on Sitka’s local cable channel.
The group that organized this event – the Sitka Bicycle Friendly Coalition – raised $250 in less than 3 minutes to purchase the first bicycle to be given as a door prize. Sitka Rotary donated $450 to buy 2 high quality kids bikes.
Many groups donated other prizes; the Yellow Jersey Cycle Shop, Old Harbor Books, Russell's, the Backdoor, Sitka Bike and Hike, and the Galley Deli, which supplied gift certificates and some healthy pre-ride treats.  The Sitka Conservation Society not only gave a prize, but also was instrumental in the planning and promotion of this event, thanks to Natalie Sattler.  
Sitka Community Schools, especially our new and wonderful AmeriCorps and Jesuit Volunteers, were tremendously helpful with setting up and taking down decorations.  Members of the Tlingit and Friends Bike Club and Sitka Global Warming Group, along with staff from the Yellow Jersey Cycle Shop, the Steps to a Healthier SE Alaska program and SEARHC's Health Promotion and Injury Prevention programs all made substantial sweat-equity contributions too. 
Other valuable volunteer efforts included Steve Warren on sound, Alice Marcus on the picture station, Jeanette Chavez at registration, and Evon Nesheim at the safety station. WISEGUYS Charles Bingham and David Kanosh helped with take down.  The police department was a tremendous help in providing labor, materials, and traffic control for the event – big thanks to Lt. Gary McCrary and Judy Puckett.

Lastly we'd like to thank the hundreds of people who showed up and helped to make this a memorable event.  Some have asked us if this will help us receive our Bicycle Friendly Community award from the League of American Bicyclists.  A big part of that designation comes from how the community shows its support for the safe accommodation for cycling and how Sitkans encourage residents to bike for transportation, recreation, and physical activity. With the turnout this Saturday, the answer is a resounding yes.   

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