Dave and Stella
Thirty bicyclists rolled up to the Rainier Valley Food Bank in Seattle on Saturday afternoon with their backpacks, trailers and panniers loaded with hundreds of food items.
Their arrival marked the finish of Seattle's Cranksgiving food drive, an inaugural event here that has to be judged a huge success.
Not two weeks ago, Seattle Bike Blog editor Tom Fucoloro had read about a dozen Cranksgiving bike-ride food-drives across the nation and was disappointed there was nothing in Seattle.
Good turnout
Although he had never sponsored a bike ride before, he decided to start a Cranksgiving in Seattle and quickly put it together in a short time with the help of some other sponsors.
Waiting for the 11:30 a.m. start time at Cal Anderson Park on Saturday, Tom said he would have been happy if the participants numbered in the teens. Instead, 30 riders showed up, not including kids with their parents.
Food drive
The event was unlike any ride I had ever been on. There was no route to follow on a map, just five grocery stores located between Cal Anderson Park on Capitol Hill and Genesee Park in Columbia City. To compete for the race prize, cyclists had to visit each store, pick up a canned or packaged food item at each location, and save the receipt.
Two other stores were listed on a more direct route between the parks for those who didn't want to do all that cycling.
The grand prize (one night at the Belltown Inn) for the fastest time went to Team Who-Haws. Tarrell Wright, David Wiegand, and Paul Breslin boasted that their time of 1-hour-20 had set an all-time record in the event.
Dry, cold
The cyclists were asked to pick up canned vegetables, canned fruit, canned soup, dry or canned beans and pasta or rice, all nonperishable items that were requested by the food bank.
One cyclist towed a trailer with a plastic bin full of canned goods. Another brought his dog Stella, who rode in the front basket.
Although the weather stayed dry, a cold wind swept across Seattle from the north. The riders stayed in good spirits, though, and got a big laugh when Tom said he'd organize a Toys for Tots bike ride as soon as the first snowflakes hit.
In addition to Tom's SeattleBikeBlog.com, other sponsors included CapitolHillSeattle.com, Belltown Inn, Cascade Bicycle Club, Central Co-op's Madison Market, and YogaForBikers.wordpress.com.
More rides
Cranksgiving bike rides also rolled out on Saturday in Columbis, Ohio; Fort Walton Beach, Fla.; Miami, York, Penn.; and New York City. That's where the idea originated among bike messengers in 1999. Des Moines, Iowa, will hold a Cranksgiving ride on Sunday.
Team Who-Haws wins grand prize
Bike trailer loaded with food
Tom Fucoloro of SeattleBikeBlog.com
Sylvie Janecek poses in a chick costume,
while her friend studies the route sheet
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