Join in the upcoming cacophony of community celebration, laughter, and bike bells as Hope and Area Healthy Communities (HAHC) kicks off spring with free activities the entire family will enjoy.
“It starts with the Bike Rodeo on Saturday, May 25,” said Anne Todd, who’s on the planning committee for HAHC.
And although the event is aimed at promoting helmet safety, safe riding skills, and basic bike maintenance to school-aged children, Todd says the rodeo is open to anyone who rides something with wheels. “They can ride a scooter or a bike—we never turn anyone away.”
And with four stations for practicing, and lots of great prizes, including a grand prize $300 gift-card to Sixth Avenue Sports, Todd says they hope to see everyone at the event, which takes place from 1 til 3 p.m., at Coquihalla Elementary School.
“Then we launch Bike to Work and School Week from May 27 to June 2,” Todd continued.
READ MORE: Hope is gearing up for Bike to Work Week
More than 20-years-old, Bike to Work Week (BTWW) started in 1995 by a core group of commuter cyclists committed to raising the profile of commuter cycling. The first event in Greater Victoria counted approximately 500 participants.
However, over the years, BTWW has expanded—now including a Bike to School component—and with more than 50,000 people participating in the events in 2017, the organization decided its mandate was simply to help people discover the joy of using their bikes everyday for transportation. And as such, it made sense to change their name to the GoByBike BC Society.
“We’ve changed our provincial organization, (but) we’re still committed to helping communities across B.C. put on Bike to Work Week and Bike to School Week events,” states the organization on its website.
“Really, Bike to Work or School is a misnomer,” said Todd, “it’s bike anytime you want. Just bike instead of using a vehicle. Even the price of gas might be a good motivator for some.”
And not to be outdone by the incredible prize available at the Bike Rodeo, the province-wide biking initiative encourages riders to register online for a chance to win a prize, including a cycling adventure trip for two through Italy’s Prosecco Hills.*
*To qualify for the grand prize draw and other provincial prizes, you must log kilometers for at least one bike trip during Bike to Work & School Week, May 27 - June 2, 2019.
READ MORE: VIDEO - Bike rodeo grows in second year
Then, right in the middle of BTWW, begins the Canadian national ParticipACTION Community Better Challenge, which runs from May 31 til June 16, and comes with some impressive monetary prizes.
“This one’s great because you can do any sort of activity,” Todd said. “You can do things individually or as a group in an event. And anything that gets your heart rate up for at least 10 minutes counts.”
That means housework, walking the dog, any part of your normal routine that gets the blood pumping, as well as additional recreational or sporting activities you may participate in, either regularly or spontaneously.
Todd says participants are asked to download the app to track their activity—available on the App Store and Google Play—and if they start tracking their activity now, it’ll be a habit by the time the competition starts.
“We’re a fairly active community, so if people are willing to log their activities, I believe we could do quite well.”
The Canadian national winning community will win $150,000, and five running up communities will receive $20,00 for their regional recreation programs. And so it’s fair, it’s based on a per-capita basis, so all communities are equal as long as all members track their activity. As an added technological bonus, the app can be linked to just about any fitness tracker, which makes logging activity much easier.
At the end of the day, Todd says HAHC just wants to get the community out and active. “The benefits of exercise are wide-ranging: there’s cardio, social, and you sleep better.”