June is Tahoe Bike Month!!

Tahoe Bike NewsMarch 2010
Regional News 
  
June is Tahoe Bike Month!

The Bike Coalition is branding June as Tahoe Bike Month in an effort to bring together existing events and/or developing new events as a way to build a critical mass of activities throughout the month of June that will enable us to create a marketing platform to reach beyond the region and promote Bike Lake Tahoe as a cycling destination.
 
 
Tahoe Bike Challenge 2 Work, School and Play
Formerly called Bike to Work Week, this expanded two week version is planned to increase the public’s awareness about cycling’s value to the community and encourage more of you to ride in lieu of taking the car.  Take and Give a Challenge to your family, friends and colleagues to see who can tally the most days, most miles, the greatest reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, and having the most fun doing it.  Go online and register at www.TahoeBike.org or learn how to become a sponsor.
 
Tahoe Bike Day Parade & Festval
 Also new this year is establishing the first Saturday in June as Tahoe Bike Day.  To celebrate this day we are producing a parade and festival.  That’s right – A PARADE!  Plan on coming out and joining with family and friends to ride 2.2 miles in the first official Tahoe Bike Day Parade with a police escort up Hwy 50 to Pioneer Trail and then down Ski Run Blvd. to Ski Run Marina where the festival is being held.
 
The parade follows the ribbon cutting ceremony by City Officials at 12 noon.  We encourage you to dress up your bike and your body and help make this first bicycle parade fun, safe, and memorable.  For details about being a sponsor, exhibitor or volunteer visit www.TahoeBike.org for details.
 
Volunteers Needed!
Now, more than ever we ask for your assistance in helping us build our capacity to produce these new events and future programs.  We can use assistance with the Parade & Festival on Saturday, and then on Sunday we host the Spooner Summit Rest Stop during the America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride.
 
Contact Ty at biketahoe@aol.com with your interest to help out.  We greatly appreciate it.
 

 
South Shore
City Installs First Bike Racks!
The City of South Lake Tahoe has received 25 bike racks that they had manufactured to their specifications.  The first one was installed at the City Administration offices at the Airport.  Additional racks will be installed at City properties where it is determined to be of high use.  According to John Greenhut, Director, Public Works, “some of the racks will be placed at City facilities and the remainder of the inventory will be donated to the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition for installation where optimum bicycle use is occurring and the greatest need for secure parking is evident.”
 
 
 
This is another excellent example of the collaboration between the City and the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition, and the City’s continued commitment to improve the bicycle-friendliness of our community.  Many thanks to out to members of the City Council, and the staff and me pictured here:  John Greenhut, Dir. PW, Christine Vuletich, Dir. Finance, Ty Polastri, Pres. LTBC, and David Jenkins, City Mgr. Not pictured here and a key player is Stan Hill, City Bike Coordinator.  Thank you all for keeping the focus and commitment to seeing this project through.  Our community will be a better place as a result of their actions.

 
Bike Coalition Recieves Federal Tax Exemption
The Coalition has received its Federal tax exemption status as a 501 c 3 public charity.  This is great news because it opens the door for the Coalition to directly seek and receive a wide variety of grants that previously had to go through another nonprofit agency that served as its go between and paid an administrative fee to manage those funds.
 
Now, direct donations and membership fees are tax deductible because the Coalition is a public benefit charity and nonprofit corporation.

 
Dear Tahoe Bike Buddies:
 
You can see by the news mentioned above that we are building our organizational capacity and developing new activities and events.  These represent a new and exciting phase in our growth and in our ability to advance our mission and collaborate with others.
 
As is customary for many of us during this time of the year, we are ramping up our activities to implement last year’s plans and building new plans for the future. 
 
We are hopeful you are planning to ride, and build your teams, for the Tahoe Bike Challenge and will help us launch the first Tahoe Bike Day Parade & Festival.  Many of us believe the cycling parade has a lot of potential to bring together our community of family and friends and grow each year into a celebratory event of fun, creativity, health and friendship.
 
Its time to bring the bike out of the garage, inflate its tires, lube the moving parts, polish it up, and get ready to proudly ride through town knowing that you are helping to make it a better place to live and ride.
 
 
Keepin it rollin,
 
Ty Polastri
President