Bikes Can Beat Childhood Obesity – The CYCLE Kids Breakaway Charity Ride is a Daylong Celebration of Bicycling and Healthy Food

2nd Annual CYCLE Kids Breakaway Charity Ride

The route: Choose between 62, 36, or 5 miles

The post-ride celebration: After the ride, enjoy a freshly grilled gourmet lunch cooked by chef Paul O’Connell of Chez Henri in Cambridge. Complimentary wine and locally-brewed Pretty Things beer is included.  Relax or play lawn games on the museum grounds while enjoying live bluegrass music from the Pine Hill Ramblers.

Also included: Healthy pre-ride snacks, fully-serviced rest stops (two on the 62 mile ride, one on the 36-mile ride), limited edition Breakaway bike jersey to the first 200 registrants, CYCLE Kids water bottle, post-ride massage, ride support provide by mechanics from the Wheelworks bike shop.

Start/finish location: deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, 51 Sandy Pond Road, Lincoln, MA.  Parking is available onsite.

Starting times: 8:00 AM for 62-mile ride, 10 AM for 36-mile ride, 10:30 for 5-mile family ride.

The cost: Participants decide whether to fundraise or not, depending on which registration fee is chosen:

• $200 registration includes ride admission, the post-ride celebration, and “the extras”
• $100 registration includes the post-ride celebration only
• $50 registration includes ride admission, the post-ride celebration, and all extras – and includes a commitment to fundraise an additional $150 or more.  CYCLE Kids will provide a personal fundraising web page for participants to share with family and friends. Great prizes awarded to top fundraisers!
• Children under 16 are free.

To register today – or find out more: please visit http://conta.cc/breakaway-2012

Former Harvard cycling coach Julianne Idlet founded this Cambridge-based organization to get kids off the couch or computer and onto bicycles.  The school-based program integrates riding bicycles in physical education classes with nutrition education, literacy, and mentoring.  Since its founding in 2004, the CYCLE Kids program has expanded beyond metro Boston to NYC, and has already served over 4,100 youth.

The CYCLE Kids Breakaway Charity Ride is not merely a ride – just as CYCLE Kids is not merely about bicycling. CYCLE Kids also combats childhood obesity by encouraging healthy eating, and the event mirrors this objective with a delicious al fresco post-ride lunch, freshly grilled by Chef Paul O’Connell of Chez Henri in Cambridge.

The ride is held at the beautifully landscaped, wooded grounds of the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln, MA.  Participants choose from three expertly designed routes:

• The 62 mile Metric Century is a great challenge for those who are looking to test their early-season fitness.  With over 3,500 vertical feet of climbing, this metric century will prepare you for the toughest rides of summer.

• The 36 mile ride passes through numerous areas of conservation land, including the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge.  These smooth quiet roads lead one to believe Boston is much further than 20 miles away!

• The 5-mile ride is a perfect introduction to the joys of family bicycling.  The halfway point of the ride is a stop at Codman Farm in Lincoln, where children can visit with the farm animals.

The CYCLE Kids Breakaway Charity Ride is perfect for families or friends who ride at different paces – choose your own ride, then re-unite for the post-ride celebration.

The CYCLE Kids Breakaway Charity Ride also offers a unique way for businesses to build morale and reward employees.  Companies who are “Wellness Sponsors” will receive free ride admissions to pass along to employees.  This sponsorship option is a great choice for business owners looking for exciting ways to promote wellness.

About CYCLE Kids

CYCLE Kids is an organization that provides communities with an innovative curriculum that brings new excitement to physical education classes and to a child's literacy lessons. The curriculum teaches 4th and 5th grade students bicycle safety and skills, how to make smart food choices, and encourages children and their families to live healthier, more active lifestyles. Over 4,100 children in metro-Boston and New York City call themselves a "CYCLE Kid."

To learn more about CYCLE Kids, please visit http://www.cyclekids.org