The Anne Arundel Department of Recreation & Parks, Anne Arundel County Police and Bicycle Advocates for Annapolis and Anne Arundel County (BikeAAA) will host the seventh annual Lifeline 100 Community Bicycle Event on October 3, 2021, which starts and ends at Kinder Farm Park.
This year marks the 7th Anniversary of the Anne Arundel County Lifeline 100 with scenic trails and roadways to spotlight cycling awareness, safety, and its benefits. The event typically attracts more than 800 participants from age 4 to 84 of all levels and abilities, a wide range of bikes including road bikes, hybrids, mountain bikes, cruisers, tandems, recumbents, adaptive, and trikes. Over the past six years, the event has generated more than $200,000 in proceeds for non-profit beneficiaries and has won an award from the Maryland Recreation & Parks Association.
In recognition of Hunger Action Month, the event will donate 30% of all registration fees collected from September 1 to 12 to the Anne Arundel County Food Bank. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant detrimental impact on food insecurity in Anne Arundel County. Since March 2020, AACFB has witnessed a 482 percent increase in the number of people seeking assistance at food pantries and, in response, distributed nearly 7.4 million pounds of food throughout Anne Arundel County. Today, AACFB continues to see an average of 64,000 people per month that rely on its food and basic necessity programs. The need for food donations in Anne Arundel County remains high. In recent months, AACFB has experienced a 76 percent drop-off in food donations. Furthermore, due to the pandemic, AACFB saw one of its largest food drives canceled for the second year in a row which typically generates roughly 40,000 pounds in food donations for the people of Anne Arundel County.
AACFB is also a partner with BikeAAA, Anne Arundel County Police, Anne Arundel Medical Center and Crofton Bike Doctor in the Wheels of Hope program which collects used bikes that are refurbished by volunteers and provided with new helmets to adults and children in need. Many adult bikes are placed with people without cars and in need of transportation. Anne Arundel County Recreation & Parks has partnered with AACFB with the Donation Trailers in the Parks, an award-winning program to collect food and other essentials.
The 2021 Lifeline 100 will be on Sunday, October 3rd with 100 and 65-mile scenic routes with views of the Severn River, Chesapeake Bay, historic Annapolis, and more. The 30 and 15-mile flat, paved trail routes are great for riders of all ages and abilities including families, adaptive bikes, and people with special needs who can register at a 2 for 1 rate with their accompanying rider thanks to our generous Ride Leader sponsor Prophasys. All routes are fully supported with route maps and markings, rest stops, and SAG vehicles.
The free Children’s Bike Rodeo for ages 4-10 provided by PedalPowerKids will return on October 3from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. for a fun and educational experience. The Bike Rodeo will include a short bike safety check, helmet instruction, and safe riding tips followed by a kids’ obstacle riding course that includes turns, stops, and crossings. Reserve your free time slot at www.lifeline100.com/rodeo.
For full event details and registration information, please visit www.lifeline100.com.
