2014 9th Annual Cranksgiving
Bicyclist Phil Leachman donned turkey attire for Sunday's ninth annual Cranksgiving bike ride and food drive in Maplewood.
Credit Stephanie Lecci
The 9th Annual St. Louis Cranksgiving family friendly bicycle ride and food drive has again brought area cyclists together – both casual individual and families cyclists as well as avid and hard core cycling groups – in a common cause of helping others, a hallmark of this annual event.
For the St. Louis cycling community it is one of the yearly favorites as demonstrated by the number of those participating and the tremendous amount of food they donate.
Cranksgiving has its beginnings in 1999 by the bicycle messengers in New York City as a way to collect food for local food pantries and has since spread across the country. The St. Louis Cranksgiving, which has been the largest and best supported in the country for the past 5 years, benefits Food Outreach a local food pantry that serves those living with HIV/AIDS and cancer.
This year's ride was enjoyed by nearly 700 riders including families, children, casual cyclists and many of the local cycling groups and related organizations. This year the St. Louis community donated nearly 11,000 individual food items – all of which goes directly to Food Outreach.
A huge thanks goes out to the St. Louis cycling community for once again showing up in force and showing the national cycling scene what St. Louis is composed of.
Click here to read and listen to the St. Louis Public Radio article, “St. Louis Bicyclists Make No Turkey Out Of 'Cranksgiving' Bike Ride & Food Drive“