BRAIN: Retailers receive grants to further advocacy work

From Bicycle Retailer and Industry News:

BOULDER, CO--Three retailers were selected to receive $1,000 grants each from Bikes Belong as winners of its "Build More Than Bicycles" challenge. The contest drew submissions from more than 200 industry suppliers and retailers, who provided details on how they are working to improve cycling in their local communities. Century Cycles from Rocky River, Ohio, Penn Cycles from Bloomington, Minnesota, and Bicycle Trip from Santa Cruz, California, were the winners. Century Cycles created a Bike to School Challenge five years ago. Today, the program reaches 4,000 students at five north[east] Ohio schools during the month of May. With the $1,000 grant, Century Cycles will expand the Challenge and help other IBDs replicate it. Penn Cycles is a founding sponsor of the Minnesota High School MTB Racing League. The store has hosted a weekly mountain bike race series fro 21 years, provided neutral support for bicycling events, partnered with more than 60 businesses to promote bike commuting, and last year supplied more than 5,000 free bikes to children. Penn Cycles will use the grant to grow participation in the Minnesota High School MTB Racing League. Project Bike Trip is a program created by Bicycle Trip's owners after noticing a lack of skilled bike mechanics. They started a bicycle tech class at the local high school. Today, seven of the nine area high schools have dedicated bike classrooms. Project Bike Trip prepares students for job opportunities in the industry. It will put the grant toward new tools for the classrooms.