Participation in the 4th Annual Bikes for Kids Utah Rides Increases

SALT LAKE CITY – June 2, 2009 – Bikes for Kids Utah hosted successful 5K, 50K and 100K fundraising bike rides last weekend to support its mission to annually provide 1,000 underprivileged Utah second graders with free, brand new bicycles. Ride participation for 2009 more than doubled from last year with more than 300 cyclists registered to ride. The fundraising rides took place concurrently with the Bikes for Kids Utah annual bike giveaway event at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah.

“The cycling community has always been very supportive of the Bikes for Kids organization,” said Debbie Reid, founder and executive director of Bikes for Kids Utah. “But this year an incredible number of cyclists from around the Salt Lake Valley turned out to offer their physical and financial support to our cause.”

Though Saturday’s wind was an added challenge for 5K, 50K and 100K riders, the warm, sunny weather made for overall pleasant riding conditions. All of the rides began and finished at Intermountain Medical Center and were led by police escort.

In 45 minutes or less, 80 Family 5K riders of all ages completed a 2.5-mile loop through 4800 South. The Half-Century 50K took 72 riders on a 30-mile, 1.5-hour loop with a turnaround rest stop and a Belgium breakfast at the finish line. The longest ride was the Metric Century 100K that took 160 riders 65 miles around the Salt Lake Valley, with five “Tour of Europe” rest stops.

Alyssa Boone who rode the 50K said of the ride, “I would do it any day for a good cause. The course was excellent. I always felt safe with the police escorts and that the whole group was working together to protect itself from the wind.” Boone and her family enjoyed watching the BMX riders demoing at the bike giveaway after she finished the Half-Century.

Nancy Blanco rode for Bikes for Kids Utah for the first time on Saturday, tandem with her husband. She said as she was getting ready to enjoy the catered breakfast at the finish line: “This fundraising event is very well supported. This is my first time riding for Bikes for Kids; I heard about it yesterday from one of the event sponsors. I think it is great that all these kids are able to get bikes, and I love the flags that are on their helmets.”

The next Bikes for Kids fundraising event will be the Bikes for Kids Utah second annual Red vs. Blue Time Trial on Saturday, August 29, 2009. A charity dinner and silent auction with a Time Trial award ceremony will be held the following Wednesday, September 1 at La Caille Restaurant. More information about the time trial and auction will be available soon.

The Bikes for Kids Utah event is made possible through multiple individual and corporate sponsors who provide time, product and funds. Sponsors of this year’s event included:

Title sponsors:
Alder Construction, Costco, Intermountain Financial, Mass Mutual and Sorenson Legacy Foundation

Platinum sponsors:
Murray City Power, Murray Rotary and SOAR Communications

Gold Sponsors:
BlackBottoms Cycle Wear, Elements Wilderness Program, Imagine Learning, La Caille, Red Letter Days, Skyline Electric Company and Utah Food Services

Silver Sponsors:
Intermountain Healthcare, J.R. Smith Coaching, The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital (TOSH) and Wasatch Women’s Cycling Club

Bronze Sponsors:
The John & Company and WorkflowOne

About Bikes for Kids Utah
Formed in 2006, Bikes for Kids Utah, a non-profit organization, provides bicycles for underprivileged children of second grade school age throughout the Salt Lake Valley by means of its event registration proceeds, auctions, and through private and corporate donations. Its annual bicycle fundraising events raise money to provide 1,000 underprivileged children with bicycles each year. For more information regarding the events, please visit Bikes For Kids Utah or call 801-523-3730.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Chip Smith, SOAR Communications, 801.523.3730(wk) / 801.597.7515(cell), csmith@soarcomm.com,
Maura Lansford, SOAR Communications, 801.523.3730(wk)/817.929.8123(cell), mlansford@soarcomm.com, or
Debbie Reid, Bikes for Kids Utah, 801.232.2681,debreid@comcast.net