By Jill Sieder
The 12th annual Brownwood Bike Rally will roll out another great day of bike races, cycling activities, and festival fun on Saturday, September 17. Located in scenic Brownwood Park in East Atlanta, the bike rally includes street bike races and a bike rodeo (featuring bike safety and agility skills) for kids, “crit-cross” races (a hybrid race course that goes through and around the park, including both street and dirt segments) for adults, and a slew of family-friendly food and activities. The rally is designed to encourage participants of all ages and skill levels to ride bikes, stay fit and healthy, and have a ton of fun doing it.
The East Atlanta Kids Club launched the Brownwood Bike Rally in 2003 to promote youth fitness through a fun biking event that is free for all kids. Each year the event has grown, drawing more youth and adult participants who compete in bike races and other fun fitness activities in and around Brownwood Park. The Brownwood Bike Rally remains free for all kids each year, with the help of more than 150 volunteers, and the support of several local cycling and fitness clubs, as well as other generous event sponsors.
The Brownwood Bike Rally includes many choices for recreational fun. Kids ages 5 to 15 can compete in street bike races and the bike rodeo, while those 16 and up have their choice of street races as well as two “crit-cross” races. Adults vie for cash prizes, while kids compete for ribbons, medals, and bragging rights. The event also features bike decorating, a moonwalk, face painting, a health fair, a food court, and a festival area featuring several family-friendly activities. An on-site raffle offers chances for all to win prizes to local retailers and restaurants.
The East Atlanta Kids Club has plenty of bikes and helmets for both kids and adults to borrow – so don’t let, “But I don’t have a bike!” stop you from coming out. You can pre-register at www.active.com or on site the day of the event, beginning at 8:00am. The event itself runs from 9:00am to 1:30pm. Details on the races, race schedule, and the kinds of bikes best for each race can be found at our event site, www.brownwoodbikerally.com. And yes, volunteers are needed.
Sponsors and partners committed at press time included Presenting Sponsor Software Anywhere, Atlanta Pro Bicycles, Metro Atlanta Cycling Club, Little 5 Flyers, The Argosy, Cornerstone Solutions, East Atlanta Pharmacy, East Atlanta Thai & Sushi, Park Pet Supply, Bell Roofing, Earthshaking Music, Grant Central Pizza, Griffin Solutions Group, Mike Hancock, Intown Pediatrics, iVision, John Skousen, Little 5 Flyers, Midway Pub, Motor City South, Nia Massage, Nobis Works, PC&E, Abi Salimi, Shearean Salimi, Set Supplies, Sopo Bike Co-Op, The Stellar Group, and Tomatillo’s.
The Brownwood Bike Rally and East Atlanta Kids Club’s year-round cycling and fitness programs encourage youth to stay fit and to combat child obesity. The rally also highlights cycling safety for kids and adults. All bikes must be in safe, working condition, and all riders must wear a helmet. All net proceeds will benefit the East Atlanta Kids Club’s free after-school tutoring, mentoring, and enrichment programs for promising youth from under-resourced families in southeast Atlanta.
Kids and adults who are interested in participating can visit www.brownwoodbikerally.com or call 404-627-8050 for more information.
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