By Jill Sieder
Lube your chains and pump your tires to be ready to roll at the 14th-annual Brownwood Bike Rally, to be held in East Atlanta on Saturday, September 15. Kids and adults will enjoy another great day of cycling activities and festival fun. The bike rally includes street bike races and a bike rodeo (featuring bike safety and agility skills) for kids, “crit-cross” races (on both street and dirt trails) for adults, a health fair, a food court, and a festival area featuring bike decorating, bouncy house and other family-friendly activities.
The East Atlanta Kids Club (EAKC), which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, 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. The Brownwood Bike Rally remains free for all kids each year, with the help of more than 130 volunteers, and the support of several local cycling and fitness clubs and other generous event sponsors.
Sponsors and partners committed at press time included Software Anywhere, Metro Atlanta Cycling Club, Argosy, East Atlanta Pharmacy, East Atlanta Thai & Sushi, East Atlanta Village Church, Little 5 Flyers, Park Pet Supply, Midway Pub, Earthshaking Music, Intown Pediatrics, Nia Massage, Set Supplies, Sopo Bike Co-Op, and Synovus Bank.
Kids ages 5 to 15 can compete in the bike races on city streets (closed to traffic and lined with cheering neighbors) and the bike rodeo (held on the park’s tennis court area), while others (ages 16 & up) have their choice of street races as well as two “crit-cross” races (on a hybrid race course that goes through and around the park, on both street and dirt paths). 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 other family-friendly activities. An on-site raffle offers chances for all to win prizes to local retailers and restaurants.
East Atlanta Kids Club has plenty of bikes and helmets for both kids and adults to borrow. You can pre-register at www.active.com or on-site the day of the event (Saturday, September 15), beginning at 8:00am. The event runs from 9:00am to 1:30pm. Details on the races, race schedule, volunteering and much more can be found at www.brownwoodbikerally.com. Volunteers are needed. Call 404-627-8050 for more information.
The Brownwood Bike Rally and EAKC’s year-round cycling and fitness programs encourage youth to stay fit and active. The rally also highlights cycling safety for kids and adults. 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.
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