The fifth annual Anne Arundel County Lifeline 100 Bicycle Event on October 7, 208 attracted more than 800 registrants, was supported by more than 100 volunteers and over 25 sponsors. The event hosted by Anne Arundel County Police Department, Anne Arundel Department of Recreation & Parks and Bicycle Advocates for Annapolis & Anne Arundel County (“BikeAAA”) offers a great experience for cyclists of all ages and abilities with 100, 65, 30 and 15 mile route options as well as a free Children’s Bike Rodeo and Family Fun Ride at Kinder Farm Park in Millersville. The 15 and 30 mile routes are great for families, seniors, recreational and riders with special needs. They are entirely on flat, paved trails using the B&A and BWI Loop Trails. The 100 and 65 mile routes wind throughout scenic Anne Arundel County including views of downtown Annapolis, the Severn River, Chesapeake Bay, southern Anne Arundel County, BWI/Marshall airport and more. The event has received the Innovative Program Award from the Maryland Recreation and Parks Association and in 2015 won the Maryland, My Maryland Special Event of the Year. Details about the event can be found at www.lifeline100.com.
All net proceeds are donated each year to county nonprofit organizations. This year’s record proceeds of $33,100 generated by registration fees and sponsorships include $10,000 from Prophasys, and $2,500 from Maryland Live. The sponsorship from Prophasys facilitated more outreach to cyclists with special needs including cyclists and supporters from Special Olympics, Rise for Autism and others. Partner V-LINC, a provider of custom adaptive equipment for children with disabilities raised an additional $20,000 and provided three county children with their new adaptive bikes which they rode in the bike rodeo. A special registration drive in August raised funds for the Capital Gazette Family and Scholarship Funds. The following awards will be made on November 15, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. at the BikeAAA Annual Meeting at Union Jack’s in Annapolis:
- Anne Arundel Crisis Response System $11,000
- Recreation Deeds for Special Needs $8,000
- Capital Gazette Families Fund $800
- Capital Gazette Scholarship Fund $800
- Friends of Anne Arundel County Trails $1,000
- Friends of Kinder Farm Park $1,000
- Rise for Autism iCan! Shine Bike Camp $2,500
- Bicycle Advocates for Annapolis & Anne Arundel County $8,500
The iCan! Shine Bike Camp hosted by Rise for Autism each summer teaches children with special needs to ride a two-wheel bike over five days. The annual Lifeline100 is a great experience for people of all ages and abilities and exemplifies the power of partnership among county agencies and non-profits. In five years, $126,000 has been awarded to local non-profits and more than $50,000 for non-profit partners. Early bird registration for the October 6, 2019 event is open at www.lfeline100.com/register.
