Bike to Work

With one week to go, the fun is starting to ramp-up for Kamloops Bike To Work Week (BTWW), which happens May 28 to June 3, 2012. With generous donations from TRU’s Department of Environmental Sustainability and the Bike Peddler bike shop, the BTWW Organizing Committee is delighted to announce that all week they will be making fresh smoothies, ice coffee drinks and virgin margaritas with their bicycle powered blender!  “People are really looking forward to trying the bike blender; everyone loves the idea”, said event co-coordinator, Marcia Dick. “We’re bringing it to each of our ten Celebration Stations to go along with everything else we have going, and we’re going to have a great week!” For anyone not participating in BTWW, they can try out the bike blender at this Saturday’s Farmers Market, where fruit smoothies will be made with as many local and seasonal ingredients as possible; fee by donation.

Other news about BTWW include the following:

Celebration Stations are now mostly confirmed for May 28^th to June 1^st. All morning stations, 6:30 to 9:00, will be in front of the Kamloops Law Courts. The afternoon locations will vary, but will all be from 3:30 to 6:00. May 28^th and 30^th they will be on the North Shore, just over the Overlander Bridge on the lawn in front of the Tournament Capital of Canada sign (look for signs to get here safely); May 29^th at the new Valleyview bike interchange; and June 1^st where there will also be the wrap-up BBQ back at the law courts. May 31^st is still unconfirmed. Details can be found on the event website and on Facebook.

There are 60 teams registered so far, which is up from the same time last year of 30, but well short of this year’s goal of 100. (Last year’s event had 73 teams). Teams can register online anytime up to and even during the event. To register a team, one person from the workplace acts as a team leader and adds team members as they join. Teams can be as small as one and as large as possible, and team members can bike to and/or from work as much as they like during the week. “You can go both ways all week, just do one way/one day, or anything in-between”, said the other event coordinator James Gordon. “The key thing—as our motto says—is to just get on your bike. And as an incentive to get people registered, we have tons of prizes from all of our wonderful sponsors to give away”.

Supporting Lemonade Stand Entrepreneurs

In an effort to encourage young entrepreneurs—and a way to get more lemonade stands for thirsty bike commuters!—Kamloops Bike To Work Week (BTWW) will give any lemonade stand entrepreneurs the following supplies for their own lemonade stand: $5 worth of lemonade crystals, paper cups, 2 bright orange BTWW T-shirts, and one 11"x17" promotional sign (to go along with the awesome hand-made ones that they make!). In exchange for this, entrepreneurs need to do three things: put up their stand any time during BTWW (May 28 to June 3), let the BTWW Organizing Committee know the exact location of the stand so that they can let people where to find it, and email BTWW Kamloops one photo, which will be put on the BTWW Kamloops website and Facebook site (the photo has to show all entrepreneurs involved in the lemonade stand, the actual stand, and the stand signs). Entrepreneurs can charge whatever they want for the lemonade and keep any money they make! To register your stand and to get your supplies, please contact Marcia Dick as soon as possible at 778-470-5695 or marcia.a.dick@gmail.com.

BTWW is a province-wide event supported by the City of Kamloops and the Province of BC. Kamloops is one of over 20 BC communities participating in 2012 Bike to Work Week through Bike to Work BC, a non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging people to cycle to work for fun, health and to lessen our impact on the environment.

To register visit http://www.biketowork.ca/kamloops. You can also find us on Facebook (Kamloops Bike to Work Week), or Twitter (@kamloopsBTWW).

For media inquiries or images, please contact James Gordon, Co-coordinator, Kamloops Bike To Work Week, 250-374-8199 or jamesgordon008@gmail.com