improving lives through bicycling
It’s just a hillget over it! pg. 5
February 2015 / Vol. 45 No. 02 • cascade.org
Ride to Portland with 9,999 (new) friends!
The Major Taylor Project expands to Tacoma
By Anne-Marije Rook, Communications Director
By Ed Ewing, Director of Diversity & Inclusion
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
7787 62nd Ave. NE Seattle, WA 98115 www.cascade.org
TIME DATED MATERIAL
PRSRT STD US Postage Paid Seattle, WA PERMIT No. 2172
It’s an early summer morning and the sun hasn’t even risen yet, but the University of Washington E-1 parking lot is buzzing with people. Smiles, fist-bumps, high-fives and encouraging “let’s do this!” cheers abound as thousands of cyclists line up at the start line, ready to ride to Portland. Will you be among them? Listed by Bicycling Magazine as one of the best cycling events in the nation, the Group Health Seattle to Portland presented by Alaska Airlines is a 200-mile challenge that serves as a bucket-list item for thousands of individuals.
The STP is the primary fundraiser for our club, and thanks to riders and members like yourself, we are able to introduce thousands of students in the Puget Sound region the joys, empowerment and practicality of riding a bike. Your registration fee also helps us advocate for roads and trails that are safe and convenient for families and commuters. And thanks to you, we’re able to host fun and challenging events for riders of all ages and abilities. Your fee helps us improve lives through bicycling.
New this year!
Now in its 36th year, the Group Health Seattle to Portland presented by Alaska Airlines ride will be better than ever! We’re always working to offer riders the best riding experience possible, and this year, we’re excited to announce that a new route segment will take riders through Joint Base Lewis-McChord! Inside the base perimeters, riders will enjoy comfortable, low-car roads and the military hosts will display various military vehicles for a unique inside-look. And thanks to the renewed support of Group Health and the new addition of Alaska Airlines as our presenting sponsor, riders get to choose their own souvenir this year. Upon arriving in Portland, riders can take home a “Finisher” apparel item of their choosing, be it a T-shirt, hat, etc. And to top it all off, riders will receive a free meal at the finishing line festival in Portland!
Registration
The STP sells out every year so don’t wait! Last year, it sold out as early as Feb. 16. Member-only registration is now open! Visit www. cascade.org/stp to register today. The event registration will open to the general public at 10 a.m. on Tuesday Feb. 10.
Now in its seventh year, Major Taylor project will expand to a 10th school, Lincoln High in Tacoma, Washington. Photo Courtesy of CB Bell.
Seven years ago, Cascade Bicycle Club launched the Major Taylor Project with just two sets of Redline bicycles. Still in operation today, the bicycles have transformed the lives of the many students who rode them as well as the parents, volunteers, members and staff that surround them. This year, our fleet of bicycles will grow to 150 as we expand the program to a 10th site: Lincoln High School in Tacoma. We are very excited with the possibilities in Tacoma, made possible by a collaborative effort from Group Health Cooperative, the city of Tacoma, Cascade Bicycle Club and Lincoln High School Assistant Principal Logic Amen. At last May’s bike to work breakfast, two of Tacoma City Council Members saw the Major Taylor program presentation and were duly impressed. With the help of city of Tacoma’s Active Transportation Coordinator, Diane Wiatr, a $15,000 grant from the
Russell Family Foundation was secured to help support the effort. In July, I rode the STP with the Major Taylor students and Assistant Principal Amen who, as it turned out, had ridden STP four times, on a mountain bike, by himself!
“You can’t be what you can’t see.” - Lincoln High School saying During our two-day journey, Amen witnessed students challenging themselves, working together as a team and thriving in their success. After crossing the Portland finish line, Amen said, “we can do this in Tacoma, let me know when you’re ready to roll!” With 1,400 students, Lincoln High School is the largest in the Tacoma School District. It is also the most economically and ethnically diverse—a model of the Continued on page 2
LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL STATS Enrollment: 1,449
RACE/ETHNICITY American Indian/Alaskan Native: 31, 2.1%
GENDER
Asian: 215, 14.8%
Male: 794, 54.8%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 41, 2.8%
Female: 655, 45.2%
Asian/Pacific Islander: 256, 17.7% Black/African American: 387, 26.7% Hispanic/Latino of any race(s): 351, 24.2% White: 383, 26.4% Two or more races: 41, 2.8%