Providence Cyclo-Cross Festival donates food revenues to regional bike programs

Press Release

The Providence Cyclo-cross Festival is happy to announce that all proceeds from the Festival’s food vendors will go to supporting several regional bicycle advocacy groups.  The ‘Cross Fest will take place on Saturday, October 10 and Sunday, October 11 between 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Roger Williams Park in Providence, R.I. and take place in part with the 2009 Interbike Festival.

“We really have a big-tent philosophy towards cycling,” explained Richard Fries, Marketing Communications Director for GSD Event Productions LLC.  “We love bikes for sport but we really appreciate bikes for transit, the environment, and the health of America. Rarely do you get a chance to have the industry, the racers, and the bike advocates all together.”

With that all-encompassing idea in mind, the Providence ‘Cross Festival’s elite cyclo-cross racing, Interbike Festival, Harpoon beer tent and food court along with nightly roller races, kids’ bike rodeo and other entertainment is there for more than simply bike racers.  Anyone who considers themselves a cycling enthusiast will find something interesting at the event.

Chief beneficiaries of the Providence ‘Cross Festival include the East Coast Greenway Alliance which is leading the development of the East Coast Greenway, a 3,000 mile bike path running from Florida to Maine; the Providence Bicycle Coalition, the local Providence bicycle advocacy group; and Bikes Belong, a national bicycle advocacy group dedicated to putting more people on more bicycles. 

Other bike groups who will receive support from the ‘cross fest include Massbike, the US Open Cycling Foundation, the New England Velodrome, Best Buddies International, the American Lung Association and the National MS Society.
 
“We’re not doing this fund raising as charity; we’re doing this fund raising as an investment,” explained Fries.  “When you look at how much these guys accomplish with so little – from bike paths to signage to rail trails and youth programs – you realize the return on the investment.”

The Providence Cyclo-cross Festival Presented by Interbike will be held Oct. 10 and 11 at Roger Williams Park in Providence, R.I. Both days feature racing on the course used for the 2005 and 2006 U.S. National Championships. Sanctioned by the UCI, the races are part of the prestigious Verge New England Championship Series. For more information on the Providence Cyclo-cross Festival, visit www.providencecrossfest.com.

The Interbike OutDoor Demo East will take place from Thursday to Sunday, October 8-11, 2009 in Roger Williams Park, Providence, RI. Thursday and Friday will be a trade-only expo. On Saturday and Sunday the Interbike Festival will be open to the general public while the Providence Festival of Cyclo-cross takes place. For information visit www.interbike.com.