With summer around the corner, it’s time to clean off the bikes and get pedaling on the North Coast.
Extra incentive is provided this upcoming week as Bike to Work and School Week (BTWW) kicks off from Monday, May 29 to Sunday, June 4 for the fourth straight year in Prince Rupert.
This year, it’s the Roosevelt Park Elementary School, Friendship House youth program staff and Pineridge Elementary School teams that will be the ones to beat, as each one racked up a terrific 153.4 km, 114.3 km and 97.7 km respectively last year, and have set this year’s benchmarks.
Business, school and community teams, and individuals can sign up for the province-wide competition that offers local prizes from grocery and restaurant gift certificates to a provincial opportunity to win an all-expense paid trip to cycle the Dalmation Coast in Croatia and other prizes.
“Our goal this year is to get more people involved,” said co-organizer Juliane Mark, who has overseen the friendly competition the past few years in Prince Rupert.
Not only can teams win prizes, but the chance to appear on one of two posters next year showcasing the winning school and community teams from 2017.
“Hopefully that’s a lot of motivation for people to bike hard,” Mark said.
This year, BTWW is partnering with Change Makers Educational Society and Karen Buchanan.
A bike tune-up clinic is also being offered on Saturday, May 27 at the Jim Ciccone Civic Centre’s Raven Room (first room on the right) between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. to prepare riders for the week ahead.
During the week from May 29 to June 2, organizers will have a station set up at Javadotcup, providing coffee, apples, bananas, refreshments and healthy snacks to help fuel the participating Rupertites during their challenge.
The numbers to beat this year from 2016 are 11 teams, 10 solo riders, 721.46 km cycled, 21,644 calories burned and 157 kg of greenhouse gas emissions saved.
To get involved and to freely register, visit www.biketowork.ca