Long Island's First Annual Bike-to-Work Fashion Parade
was held on May 7, 2016, 9-11:30 am
Slide show below (click on picture to advance). Thanks to Antonio, Dan, Bill, Melissa, Sharon, Steve, Chris, Mira, Tom and Arthur for submitting pictures!
(archived documents: tee shirt image here, event brochure here, 8x11 flyer here, banner here)
Although the day was overcast and cool and rain loomed, we had a full 41 participants who seemed to have a very good time!
The parade follows a 6.5-mile loop which began at Hofstra University and then circled through scenic Eisenhower Park before returning. There was a shorter 2.3-mile loop for participants on foot, those with small children, or those who simply preferred a shorter ride. Roughly half of the 41 participants opted for each. There was be a lane of traffic shut off for the the part of the longer loop that did not have a bike path. The shorter route was exclusively on sidewalks and bike paths.
There was a short festival after the parade where we awarded prizes and wrote letters. First and second place prizes were given for three separate categories and there was a prize for the most enthusiastic little one. The winners were determined by student volunteers.
1. Most Creative Bike-to-Work Outfit
First place went to: Heike von Maydell for her Lufthansa Airline Pilot with real puppy copilot and inflatable plane. Heike won a free private yoga class for 10 people with patio reception afterwards at Samudra Yoga in Garden City (!) and a bike bag with phone carrier.
Heike von Maydell with co-pilot in backpack and Victor to right.
Second place went to: Tom Culkin for his Bernie Sanders outfit (which arguably looked more like Einstein or Rod Stewart in a suit). Tom won a set of front and rear bike lights and a bike noise maker.
Tom Culkin as Bernie (or maybe Einstein or maybe Sting)
2. Most Work-appropriate Bike-to-Work Outfit
First place went to: Steve Hetzel for his nurse's scrubs. Steve won a coffee basket from Gentle Brew Coffee Roasters in Long Beach and a bike bag with phone holder.
Nurse Steve Hetzel
Second place went to: Kenneth Scott, for his Wonder Bread jacket. Ken won a set of front and rear bike lights and a bike noise maker.
Wonder-man Kenneth Scott
3. Most creatively decorated bike:
First place went to: Caroline Scott for her beautifully drawn skull figurehead. Caroline one a decorative bike horn, chain lube, a light set, a funny noise maker and a bike bag with phone holder.
Caroline Scott and bike-buddy Bones
Second place went to: Sharon Stanley for her Beetles-themed bike. Sharon won a set of front and rear bike lights and a bike noise maker.
Sharon Stanley, the ultimate Beatles fan!
4. Winner for most enthusiastic kid: Nathan! He one a helmet he could draw on with dry erase markers and a bike noise-maker. (We don't have a picture of Nathan.)
The participants hand-wrote wrote a total of seven letters to Nassau County legislators encouraging to start work on the Motor Parkway East/West Bike Trail immediately, four letters to the NYS Parks commissioner to extend the Jones Beach Bike Trail and one to Suffolk County legislators to add more bike lanes.
The Bike-to-Work festival lead into Hofstra’s Dutch festival, with vendors, rides, games and lots and lots of beautiful tulips. After all, what is more Dutch than biking to work?!
Long Island's 2016 Bike-to-Work Fashion Parade Gold Level Sponsors:
What can I say? Hofstra's National Center for Suburban Studies made the tee shirts possible and still gave us a comfortable bumper to work with. They gave a very generous sponsorship.
This is Sylvia's bike shop. She's already bought two bikes and a bunch of accessories from them and has had a very good experience with them. Her purchases were great quality and the service is fantastic. They gave a generous monetary donation as soon as they were asked. They were our first small business monetary sponsorship. They didn't even blink. They also helped with the prizes.
NEFCU gave us a very generous monetary sponsorship! This is also where both CLLI and Sylvia bank. They have been a great bank to work with.
Om Sweet Om was Sylvia's first yoga studio and where she did her teacher training. Excellent studio in Port Washington. They donated a free yoga class to every participant. We had 41 participants!
Other (also VERY generous) Bike Parade Sponsors
Samudra Yoga Studios is a new yoga studio in Garden City. It is one of Sylvia's favorite studios. Warm atmosphere, excellent teachers -- everything you could want in a studio. They donated the grand prize for most creative costume: A private yoga class for up to 10 people with a reception in the back patio! I certainly hope Heike can use that. I guarantee that she will not be disappointed.
Agustin McCarthy is not only one of my favorite yoga teachers, he does one hell of a Thai Yoga Massage. Try him out, definitely.
Lufthansa gave us a generous monetary donation. They are also the reason Car-less Long Island board member, Victor, is here, and we are sincerely grateful for that!
This Long Beach coffee brewery donated a beautiful coffee basket for the best Work-Appropriate Bike-to-Work outfit prize. I think the winner, Steve, was really happy to get it! I haven't been to them, yet, but Jessica tells me they have great coffee!
(It is so nice to be able to HONESTLY recommend doing business with our sponsors!)
