Aggie Blue Bikes hosts ‘Cranksgiving’ event for Cache Community Food Pantry

Slushy conditions didn’t stop students and community members from cycling around Logan with backpacks full of canned vegetables, Saturday.

Cranksgiving, a bike race put on by Aggie Blue Bikes, is the first of its kind in Utah, according to Meg McCarthy, Aggie Blue Bikes director. McCarthy got the idea to bring the race to Utah after seeing it done in Seattle, where she used to live.

About 10 racers arrived at Aggie Blue Bikes Saturday morning in coats, jackets and hats after an overnight snow. Before the race began, participants were given a manifesto listing grocery stores and checkpoints around Logan to stop at, as is common in most alley cat races.

Cranksgiving races have a unique feature, however: racers purchase food and carry it with them to donate to a local food bank.

Cyclists could earn points by purchasing canned foods, frozen turkeys and potatoes. After stopping by the checkpoints required, the cyclists met at the Cache Community Food Pantry to weigh their donations and tally points. Points were earned based on the number of stops visited and the amount of food purchased.

In total, the race donated over 210 pounds of food to the pantry. Prizes were donated by Joy Ride bike shop.

Jake Gammill, a local resident, won the award for heaviest donation with 64 pounds of food, including a 25-pound bag of flour strapped to the back of his bike.

Meanwhile, Dayton Crites, another Logan resident, won the award for most points accumulated by stopping by multiple specialty grocery stores in Logan.

Because Aggie Blue Bikes is a part of the Center for Civic Engagement, community service is a focus of the organization, said program director Meg McCarthy. Because of this, service is a focus of Aggie Blue Bikes’ activities.

“I think Cranksgiving just fits in beautifully with that and ties bikes into it,” she said.

Cranksgiving races, like the one in Logan, began in 1999 in New York City, and have expanded to locations throughout the country. Even though the races have similar features, each one is independently organized and run.

When asked if the event would become an annual event, McCarthy responded, “I hope to do it every year and make it a cornerstone of Aggie Blue Bikes.”

—alek.nelson@aggiemail.usu.edu

@nelsonalek