Cranksgiving
Cranksgiving is an annual charity event where cyclists compete in an alleycat style race while purchasing food items at stops along the way. The event is scheduled near the American Thanksgiving holiday and the food is donated to local food pantries. The event was started in New York City in 1999 and has since spread to many other cities in the United States as well as in other countries.
History
The first Cranksgiving event was November 20, 1999. New York bicycle messenger Antonio Rodrigues came up with the idea of using an alleycat race as a charity event.[1] The event has been described as a "food drive on two wheels that is part scavenger hunt and park bike ride".[2]
By 2009, the event drew 118 participants in New York, with similar events happening in over a dozen other cities.[3] That year, the New York event collected over $1000 worth of food which was donated to local food pantries.[4] In 2015, New York had 300 participants who collected 3,000 pounds (1,400 kg) of food, including a dozen turkeys and 600 jars of baby food.[5]
In 2019, there were 112 events held in 42 states as well as in the United Kingdom and Canada. Over 20,000 pounds (9,100 kg) of food was collected in Kansas City.[6] In New York City, there were three distinct events held; Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx, with Citibike making free bikes available for the event.[7] The Seattle event that year collected 2,223 pounds (1,008 kg) of food, while a separate event in West Seattle collected another 1,195 pounds (542 kg).[8]
A 2020 event in State College, Pennsylvania drew 89 participants who collected over 1,400 pounds (640 kg) of food worth nearly $2500.[9]
Event format
Event sponsors are provided a basic set of requirements they must use, but there is no strict format. In general, cyclists are given a list of grocery stores they must visit, with specific routes to be determined by the riders. The riders are given a shopping list from which they make purchases at each of the stores and donate the goods to a local charity at the end of the event.[1][3]
References
- ^ a b "Cranksgiving website". Retrieved 2022-10-06.
- ^ "Cranksgiving – A Food Drive on Two Wheels". Retrieved 2022-10-06.
- ^ a b Goodman, J. David (2009-11-24). "An Outlaw Street Race, for a Good Cause". City Room. Retrieved 2022-10-06.
- ^ "Cranksgiving: How To Illegally Street Race And Give Back At The Same Time". HuffPost. 2010-03-18. Retrieved 2022-10-06.
- ^ "Bikers race to collect over 3,000 pounds of food for 'Cranksgiving'". TODAY.com. Retrieved 2022-10-06.
- ^ "Cranksgiving holds record 112 events this year". Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. Retrieved 2022-10-06.
- ^ "Cranksgiving – Brooklyn, NY – Cranksgiving". Retrieved 2022-10-06.
- ^ Fucoloro, Tom (2019-11-28). "Watch: Cranksgiving riders biked a literal metric tonne of food to Rainier Valley Food Bank". Seattle Bike Blog. Retrieved 2022-10-06.
- ^ Collegian, Jeremiah Hassel | The Daily. "State College's CentreBike to host 3rd annual Cranksgiving". The Daily Collegian. Retrieved 2022-10-06.