Press Release: May 24, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bay students take bike to school challenge, bicycle 28,052
miles and inspire an Oklahoma school

BAY VILLAGE, Ohio (May 24, 2010) - Despite a chilly and rainy May, Bay Village students in grades 5 through 12 logged 28,052 miles bicycling to school for three weeks, transformed their schools' transportation habits, helped the environment, and even inspired a school in Oklahoma. Bay Bike To School Challenge sponsored by Century Cycles and Chipotle concluded on Friday with school-wide assemblies at both Bay Middle School (BMS) and Bay High School (BHS), at which local officials and sponsors helped the school administrators celebrate the program's success with students and award the grand prizes of free bicycles and other prizes.

Bay Village Mayor Deborah Sutherland praised the students and told them that Bay Bike to School Challenge has inspired her to bicycle more to work at City Hall. She said the entire city was proud of their commitment and she encouraged them to keep bicycling all summer long.

The inspiration wasn't confined to Northeast Ohio, however. A school in Edmond, Oklahoma had their very first Bike To School day on Friday, May 21, after being inspired by Bay Village's efforts:
http://www.newsok.com/edmond-holds-first-bike-to-school-day/article/3463088?custom_click=pod_headline_health

From May 3 to May 21, 2010 Bay Bike to School Challenge racked up some big numbers:

• 28,052 miles: Total number of miles bicycled by Bay Village students (calculated by daily bike counts at BMS and BHS and the average daily commute based on student surveys). The earth's circumference is 24,901 miles, so Bay students logged enough miles to more than circle the globe.
• 28,641 pounds: Total number of pounds of carbon dioxide emissions estimated to be saved.
• 1,242 students: Total number of BMS and BHS students who registered for the challenge, out of a total population of 1,642 students).
• 481 students: The average number of Bay Middle School students who biked to school each day, or 58% of the school. The highest number of bicyclists was on May 5, when 600 students biked to BMS (a whopping 72% of the school) and approximately 240 BMS students biked every single day of the challenge. Prior to the challenge, 74% of BMS students used a car or school bus to get to school, according to student surveys.
• 178 students: The average number of Bay High School students who biked to school each day, or 22% of the school. The top bicycling day at BHS was May 3, when 290 students biked to school. Approximately 40 BHS students biked every single day of the challenge. According to student surveys, only 6.5% of BHS students regularly bicycled to school before the challenge.
• $3,857: The estimated fuel savings by Bay students by bicycling to school (based on total mileage and an average gasoline cost of $2.75 per gallon).
• 80,052 miles: Total number of miles bicycled by Bay students during all three years of Bay Bike to School Challenge, 2008 - 2010.
• 82,352 pounds: Total number of pounds of carbon dioxide emissions estimated to be saved during all three years of Bay Bike to School Challenge, 2008 - 2010.

Those numbers are in stark contrast to national averages. According to the Safe Routes to School Partnership, only about 15% of U.S. children bike or walk to school today, versus approximately 50% in 1969. As much as 30% of morning traffic is generated by parents driving their children to school, one-third of schools are in "air pollution danger zones" and more than 33% of U.S. children are now overweight and obese or at risk of becoming so.

On May 21, school administrators were also striving to reach "1000 Bikes in Bay" to give the challenge one last boost. They almost met their goal: The bike count for the day was 930 bicycles - 285 at Bay High School, 514 at Bay Middle School, 125 at Westerly, three at Normandy, two at the school board office and one bicycle at Glenview. Organizer Jason Martin, Assistant Principal at BHS, deemed it a success and said, "This was definitely the most bicycles we've ever had at Bay schools on one day."

At Bay High School, the grand prize winners of Raleigh and Giant bicycles from Century Cycles were Luke Reid, Nick Snyder, Abe Zbornik and Nathan McDonald. At Bay Middle School, the bicycle winners were Nick Portonova, Ron Gilman, Matthew Thomas and Dominic Passalacqua. The winners of free burritos for a year from Chipotle were Laurence Gaide at Bay High School and Hayley Langer at Bay Middle School. In addition, over 60 more students won grand prizes from Century Cycles, Earth Day Coalition, Main Street Cupcakes, Mitchell's Ice Cream, Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park, Project Earth Environmental Club, Bay Skate and Bike Park Foundation, Vanitylab Salon, Bay Lanes and more.

A special drawing for a Cedar Point season pass was held for the students who bicycled all 15 school days of the challenge. That drawing was won by Hillary Stradtman at BHS and Hunter Dunlop at BMS. Also honored were Camille Eckel and Kathryn Tokar at Bay High School, who won the t-shirt design contest and had their artwork featured on the event's t-shirt.

About Bay Bike to School Challenge
Bay Bike to School Challenge strives to motivate 1,600 middle and high school students in the Cleveland suburb of Bay Village to ride their bikes to school as much as possible, to help the environment and improve their health. The three-week bicycling event shows students, their parents and the community as a whole that going by bike is a great way to go, especially for short trips around town. Its influence is spreading beyond the school system: In March, Bay Bike to School Challenge was awarded "Project of the Year" by the Bay Village Community Council, in recognition of its outstanding example of environmental awareness and healthy behavior for all the citizens of Bay Village.

The sponsors who team up with Bay Middle School (BMS) and Bay High School (BHS) on the program are Century Cycles bicycle store in Rocky River, Chipotle, Bay Village Kiwanis, Bay Schools Parent Teacher Student Association, Project Earth Environmental Club and the Bay Skate and Bike Park Foundation.

For regular updates about Bay Bike to School Challenge, go to the event's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BayBikeToSchoolChallenge or visit www.centurycycles.com/to/bts.

Bay Bike To School Challenge began in 2008, expanded in 2009
Inspired by a student car boycott in 2007, Century Cycles owner Scott Cowan approached Bay High School, his alma mater, about encouraging more bike-riding to school. It was enthusiastically embraced by the students and faculty. Participation in 2008 exceeded organizers' expectations - 543 students (66 percent of the school) registered for the program and on average 224 students per day biked to school during an unusually cold and rainy May. At its conclusion, Bay High School students rode an estimated 15,566 miles, saved $2,883 in fuel costs, and reduced carbon emissions by 14,350 pounds.

In 2009, the program was expanded to include Bay Middle School and 1,215 students signed up for the Bay Bike to School Challenge (over 75% of both schools, out of a combined student population of 1,600). Bay Middle School saw 71% of its student population bike to school each day of the challenge and 36% of Bay High School students biked each day. Over 90 teachers and administrators made it a "bike to work" challenge. In all, the students biked a total of 37,042 miles and saved 34,149 pounds of CO2 emissions.

Event Organizers

ABOUT BAY SCHOOLS: The schools in Bay Village, Ohio, are award-winning and consistently earn the state's highest ratings for student achievement. Bay High School was recently named one of the Top 500 high schools in the U.S. by U.S. News and World Report. Newsweek ranked it in the top 5% of high schools in the nation. www.bayvillageschools.com

Bay Middle School: 27725 Wolf Road, Bay Village, Ohio 44140

Bay High School: 29230 Wolf Road, Bay Village, Ohio 44140

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. Project Earth volunteers helps organize and coordinate the day-to-day administration of Bay Bike To School Challenge at BHS with their faculty adviser, Ms. Eryn Whistler.

Eryn Whistler
Teacher, Bay High School/Adviser, Project Earth Environmental Club
Phone: 440-617-7518
ewhist@leeca.org

At Bay Middle School, volunteers from Bay Skate and Bike Park Foundation help organize and coordinate day-to-day administration of Bay Bike to School Challenge with their adviser, Lawrence Kuh, and assistance from BMS PTSA.

Lawrence Kuh
Teacher, Bay Middle School/Executive Director, Bay Skate and Bike Park Foundation
Phone: 440-617-7668
lkuh@leeca.org

ABOUT CENTURY CYCLES: Founded in 1992, Century Cycles is an award-winning, locally-owned chain of independent bicycle stores in Medina, Peninsula, and Rocky River, providing high-quality bicycles and friendly, expert service to northeast Ohio bicyclists and their families. Century Cycles is an authorized dealer of Raleigh, Giant, Diamondback, Electra, Surly, Masi, Bianchi, and Haro bicycles, as well as Santana tandems. The Peninsula store also rents bicycles year-round for use on the Towpath Trail in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

For eight consecutive years, Century Cycles has been voted one of the top 100 bicycle retailers in the United States by Bicycle Retailer & Industry News magazine. In 2009, Century Cycles was awarded Bike Shop of the Year by the League of American Bicyclists, one of only eight bicycle shops honored in the United States. www.centurycycles.com

Scott Cowan, Owner
Phone: 440-356-5705
scott@centurycycles.com

ABOUT CHIPOTLE: Chipotle Mexican Grill offers a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls (a burrito without the tortilla) and salads made from fresh, high-quality raw ingredients, prepared using classic cooking methods and served in a distinctive atmosphere. Through our vision of Food with Integrity, Chipotle is seeking better food not only from using fresh ingredients, but ingredients that are sustainably grown and naturally raised with respect for the animals, the land, and the farmers who produce the food. Chipotle opened its first restaurant in 1993 and currently operates more than 800 restaurants. www.chipotle.com

Tracey Bradnan, Cartwheel Communications
Cell Phone: 440-781-7690
tracey@cartwheelcleveland.com
Twitter: @traceybradnan