Standing Room Only at AS&R’s 2018 Bike to Work Day Energizer Station!
courtesy Francesco Papalia
Bike Month 2018 is not quite over but we can report on the fun and successes that we all had, thanks to the volunteers at all the events!
On May 4th Gjergji, Joan, Julie, Ken and Will stuffed 300 musette bags full of swag – bike lights, information, discount cards, snacks – for the upcoming Bike to Work Day…without those great Bike East Bay bags, Bike to Work Day wouldn’t have the cachet that it has!
Almost a week later, the 25th annual Bike to Work Day was a rousing success. At our Albany Energizer Station, more than 500 cyclists went by while we were there.
Yup, we even had a dog stop by for treats! courtesy Mike Gill
Thank you to all who stopped by to eat, drink, get your bike checked or chat about bike stuff!
I’d to thank Bradley B, Francesco P, Jane L, Jessica M, Julie W-L, Ken M, Mac M, Margo W, Mike G, Nick P, Peggy M, Pete M, Bike East Bay’s Ruth K, Samantha H, Shoey S, Sylvia P and “the Backroads Bunch” of Breeze W, Brittany H, Cooper M, Melissa P & Stacy L for staffing the station, setting things up, distributing swag & snacks, counting cyclists, and just keeping things running! Without YOU, the volunteers, this absolutely could not happen.
Jessica, Mac, Mike and Francesco each took some great photos documenting the fast-paced morning…as did Melanie, on her way to work! Francesco even took this video, for those of you who want to relive the fun or see what you missed.
Do I see coffee and breakfast?! courtesy Melanie Mintz
There was plenty of food and drink for everyone, thanks to the generous donations by local businesses Kim’s Cafe (Cathy) and Royal Ground Coffee (Mike) Trader Joe’s El Cerrito (Dao,) Semifreddi’s (Rachael,) GU Energy (Jessica & Germán,) Safeway (Cherise & LaToya) and Sprouts (Brenda & Jen), plus Barney Butter (Alexandra) non-GMO almond butter from the Central Valley!
And Mattison L volunteered to do the shopping at Safeway and Sprouts, taking a load off of Ken!!
Rob from Blue Heron Bikes and Winston from Berkeley Bikes & Skateboards volunteered their time, checking your bicycles for safety and road-worthiness as they have in previous years!
Bradley with freshly baked Semifreddi’s bread!
courtesy Jessica McGowen
Bradley Blackshire of Edward Jones did triple duty: as a sponsor, he bought AS&R drink dispensers, serving trays and tongs that we can use at all future events; as an Alameda resident he picked up 50 baguettes fresh from the oven at Semifreddi’s for our Energizer Station; then he volunteered all morning at the station!
Cyclists streamed by all morning!
courtesy Mac McCurdy
Nice turnout for 2018’s first Bike About Town!
courtesy Ken McCroskey
Bike About Town family fun rides began on May 18th and we had a fine turnout for a loop around Albany. Brennen from the City of Albany, Gjergji, Jerry, Ken, Sylvia and I rode with the group and had a great time. I hope more of you will join us on upcoming rides!
APAL gave out free helmets and AS&R volunteers made sure they fit the kids.
courtesy Amy Smolens
The APAL Bicycle Rodeo took place last Saturday. Hundreds of kids and their parents enjoyed a cycling confidence course run by Cycles of Change, BMX demos, the famous “Bike Blender,” getting their face painted by Ping F, and talking to me about how to safely ride on the streets of Albany and beyond.
Britt T, Gjergji Z and Ken M fitted some of the 100 new helmets that Albany PD gave out, and tweaked old helmets, too.
EVERYONE loves pedal powering – and drinking – a fruit smoothie!
courtesy Amy Smolens
Tenisha N, Albany MTB team member Griffin and a bunch of student volunteers kept the blender filled & running so the kids could power their way to blend smoothies for themselves, their families (and us, too.)
Bike Month isn’t quite over, and the City is sponsoring a Bike-In Movie (Chariots of Fire) and mini-Bike About Town tomorrow (Friday.)
And Pat, owner of Tay Tah Cafe and Bua Luang Thai Cuisine, is offering Bike Month Discounts through May 31st:
If you bike to Tay Tah from Monday through Friday during May, when you buy one Boba Drink you get another of the same flavor FREE! So ride over with a friend and enjoy!
If you bike to Bua Luang, when you buy one kid’s meal you get another kid’s meal FREE!
Pat, who runs Tay Tah and Bua Luang, has always been supportive of AS&R
Fern donated gift cards for AS&R’s volunteers so check out her shop’s cool bike section!
I want to give extra recognition to businesses and owners BLUE HERON (Rob), BUA LUANG (Pat,) AND FERN’S GARDEN (Fern, obviously) for donating special gift cards or coupons for all of our Bike Month Volunteers as a thank you for your time and service to the community!!! I truly appreciate those small businesses, as well as our other supporters (see description of BtWD) for going the extra mile to give back to AS&R’s volunteers and show that they are really involved with our community!
…and we can always count on Rob’s generosity!
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