MORGAN HILL, CA (BRAIN)—Specialized has awarded funding to five more cycling advocacy initiatives through the Dealer Grant Program and local Specialized dealers.
Recipients include ride projects in Georgia, Oregon, Chicago, Philadelphia and North Carolina.
“These programs are really relatable to the general public and hard core riders. These are the types of programs that can really make a difference to local cycling by making the efforts more visible and making riding more accessible,” said Ian Dewar, U.S. advocacy and partnerships manager for Specialized.
In Roswell, Georgia, the grant was awarded to Rambo Big Creek Mountain Bike Park to build a 3,000 square foot pump track, installation of a trail attendance counting device, installation of three trailhead information kiosks and the installation of trail designation signs.
Funding also went to the University of Oregon’s Ride in the Rain program designed to promote inclemente weather bike community to the school’s 22,000 students through the introduction of local cycling resources, winter cycling gear and equipment, safety and maintenance procedures and year-round short-term bike rentals. Another grant went to Chicago Mayor Richard Daley’s Junior Bicycling Ambassador program, which uses volunteers to promote cycling safety and encourage more residents to ride.
In Oaks, Pennsylvania, the Endurance Sports Expo received funding for its 2011 event, which will allow bicycle advocacy groups free booth space. The final project to receive a grant is the Flint Ridge Trail Expansion Project at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in North Carolina. The area, which has five miles of trail with two loops, will be developed to accommodate multiple vehicles and expanded to include eight miles of new trail.
“Specialized is proud to work with each of these progressive groups and initiatives whose goal is to integrate cycling into Americans’ daily lives. Getting more people on bikes is good for the people riding, good for the environment and, quite frankly, great for the bike business,” Dewar said.
The Specialized Dealer Grant Program started in 2009 and has so far provided $1.1 million to local bicycle advocacy projects across the country.
The next application deadline is Jan. 15, 2011 for projects and events starting before April 15. For more information go to www.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/pdf/USAgrantGuide2011.pdf.
