Press Release: May 23, 2008
| Contact: | Tracey Bradnan | For Immediate Release |
| Cartwheel Communications | May 23, 2008 | |
| (440) 835-3038 | ||
| High-res photos available upon request | ||
Bay High School Bike To School Month sponsored by Century Cycles saved 14,350 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions
BAY VILLAGE (May 23) – Bay High School Bike To School Month sponsored by Century Cycles, a four-week program designed to encourage Bay High School (BHS) students to kick the car habit, ended today. It is estimated to have saved the environment the impact of 14,350 pounds of carbon dioxide. BHS students rode approximately 15,566 total miles, or about the distance from Alaska to Argentina. (See more program statistics at the end of the release.)
At the school-wide assembly this morning at Bay High School, Meredith Turner, Community Liaison from Senator Sherrod Brown’s office, presented Bay High School, the Project Earth Environmental Club, and Century Cycles with commendations from the senator, in recognition of exemplary service to the community, state, and union. In a statement read by Ms. Turner, Senator Brown praised the students for their commitment to the environment and encouraged them to keep riding their bicycles.
In the grand prize raffle, Jack Emmerich, a sophomore, won a Raleigh Mojave 2.0 mountain bike and Alex Voiers, a junior, won a Giant Boulder mountain bike. The bicycles, both valued at approximately $300 each, were provided by Century Cycles, Raleigh Bicycles, and Giant Bicycles. (Photo of winners available upon request.)
Co-sponsored by Century Cycles and the Project Earth environmental club at BHS, Bike To School Month sought to educate students on the environmental and health benefits of forgoing motorized transportation, help them take a stand against high gas prices and in favor of their environmental concerns, plus reward them with prizes provided by Century Cycles as they accumulated bike-rides to school throughout the month. Hundreds of t-shirts, bike lights, bicycle computers, and urban backpacks were given away as prizes.
“This event was successful beyond our wildest expectations,” said Scott Cowan, owner of Century Cycles. “We are thrilled that on average over 200 students rode their bicycles each day, despite a cold and rainy May, and that they inspired their parents and the people around them to ride more, too.”
Plans are already underway to repeat Bike To School Month next school year at Bay High School, as well as at Bay Middle School and possibly other area schools.
By The Numbers:
543 students: Total number of students who signed up to participate in the program, out of a total school population of 820.
224 students: Average number of student bikers per day during Bike To School Month, April 28 – May 23.
363 hungry students: Number of students who rode to school the first day of Bike To School Month and consequently received a free burrito from Chipotle at Crocker Park.
34 teachers and staff: Total number of BHS staff and teachers who participated and transformed the experience into a commute to work.
125 even hungrier students: Number of students and faculty who rode the maximum number of school days (20) in the program, qualifying them to attend a Chipotle Burrito Party on Friday, May 23, provided by Chipotle at Crocker Park. This included Principal James Cahoon and Vice Principal Jason Martin, who rode to school every day on their bicycles (and, on one day, from Willowick; see “longest round trip” below).
1.74 miles: Average number of miles BHS students travel to get to school (average roundtrip: 3.48 miles).
15,566 miles: Estimated number of miles traveled by bicycle to school by the BHS student body (calculated using daily bike counts and average distance from home to school).
21 mpg: Average fuel economy of a U.S. automobile, according to The Climate Trust.
$2,883 saved: Estimated fuel savings by BHS student body during Bike To School Month, using 21 mpg average fuel economy and fuel cost at $3.89 per gallon.
19.36 pounds: Amount of carbon dioxide that is emitted as a result of burning one gallon of gasoline, according to The Climate Trust.
14,350 pounds: Estimated amount of carbon dioxide that was NOT emitted, thanks to BHS Bike To School Month sponsored by Century Cycles.
66 miles: Longest round trip to Bay High School, from Athletic Director Mark Smithberger’s house in Willowick. He rode it several times during the month, and on May 20 he was joined on the commute by Principal James Cahoon, Vice Principal Jason Martin, and science teacher Eryn Whistler. (Photo available upon request.)
5:00 a.m.: Departure time from Willowick, to arrive at Bay High School in time for work.
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ABOUT CENTURY CYCLES: Recently named a Top 100 Bicycle
Retailer in the U.S. for the seventh time, Century Cycles has hometown bicycle
stores in Medina, Peninsula, and Rocky River, providing high-quality bicycles
and exemplary service to cyclists and their families for the past 16 years.
Century Cycles is active locally and nationally in support of the benefits of
bicycling, bicycling paths, and other issues of vital importance to the cycling
community.
1079 North Court Street, Medina, Ohio, 44256; 330-722-7119
1621 Main Street, Peninsula, Ohio, 44264; 330-657-2209
19955 Detroit Road, Rocky River, Ohio, 44116; 440-356-5705
Scott Cowan, Owner
Phone: 440-356-5705
scott@centurycycles.com
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ABOUT BAY HIGH SCHOOL : Bay High School is an award-winning, comprehensive, four-year high school in Bay Village, Ohio. It was recently named one of the Top 500 high schools in the U.S. by U.S. News and World Report magazine.
ABOUT PROJECT EARTH ENVIRONMENTAL CLUB: Project Earth is committed to learning about their environment and how they can improve it at school, at home, and in the community. They hope that by educating themselves, they can educate others on how to preserve earth’s resources for a better future.
29230 Wolf Road
Bay Village, Ohio 44140
440-617-7400
Eryn Whistler, Teacher/Adviser
Project Earth Environmental Club
Phone: 440-617-7518
ewhist@leeca.org
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