CLEVELAND (BRAIN) — The 7th annual Century Cycles' Bike to School Challenge will get underway Monday as more than 4,000 students from six schools will try to rack up even more numbers than they have in previous years.
The program is sponsored by local retailer Century Cycles with support from Raleigh Bicycles. Last year the participating middle school and high school students rode more than 57,627 combined miles. That equates to 975,000 calories burned, $10,125 in saved gasoline and 63,398 pounds of CO2 prevented from entering the atmosphere. Last year's participation in the three-week program was up 11 percent of the prior year.
This year, each rider is eligible to win daily prizes from PeopleForBikes and other gifts from Century Cycles and other sponsors. At the end of the challenge, students are entered to win grand prizes including new bikes from Raleigh. Raleigh is donating one bike per week, either a Talus 3 or Retroglide, to each of the six schools. Raleigh also is hosting a water bottle day with Century Cycles, giving away 700 bottles to participants.
"I have never seen a bike-to-school program that generates the level of participation and excitement that this one does. It is a credit to the tremendous amount of commitment and work by the schools, its local bike shop, Century Cycles, and the entire community to engage and inspire the students. Raleigh Bicycles is extraordinarily proud to be part of Bike to School Challenge," said Chris Speyer, chief operating officer of Accell North America, Raleigh's parent company.
Since the program's inauguration, students have pedaled more than 221,000 miles.
