VICKSBURG, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Bike Friendly Kalamazoo’s inaugural Fall Bike Celebration ended with an award ceremony Saturday and Sunday night.
According to an official press release, BFK founder Paul Selden presented awards for Civic Leadership to the Village of Vicksburg, the City of Portage, the City of Kalamazoo and Kalamazoo County. A personal Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Kalamazoo Mayor Bobby Hopewell.
Accepting the awards were Village President Bill Adams and Village Manager Jim Mallery for Vicksburg, Mayor Patricia Randall and City Manager Larry Shaffer for Portage, Mayor Bobby Hopewell for Kalamazoo, and Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners Chair Julie Rogers for Kalamazoo County.
During the ceremony, Selden also announced more than $4,500 in 2019 “Bike-Booster Mini-Grants” that will be used to help fund bike education at Open Roads and Portage Public Schools.
Sunday, the award ceremony for the first-ever themed Public Bike Art Prize contest took place, which consisted of entries for street pole mounted banner art. The winner will be displayed on public lampoles for a year.
Sam Bower took first place in the Juried category for his entry “Two Wheels, Infinite Adventures.” He was awarded $1,000.
In second place, Misty Blake’s entry “Fall Bike Ride” was selected. Blake was awarded $500. Her entry also took second place in the Popular voting category.
Sandra Gilman took third place for her entry “Kalamazoo Silent Observer Bike Safe,” which earned her $250.
First place in the Popular category went to Sherri Jorgensen for her entry “Pedal the Zoo.”
“We’re so proud to have the Prairie Ronde Artist Residency associated with a positive community building activity like Bike Friendly Kalamazoo’s Fall Bike Celebration,” BFK Fall Bike Celebration director John Kern said. “This makes a powerful statement about southwest Michigan’s commitment to healthy cultural activities.”
Kalamazoo Bicycle Club Director Thom Brennan is optimistic about the future of the event.
“This is obviously our inaugural event for the Fall Bicycle Celebration, but this will be going forward every year out of Vicksburg,” Brennan said. “We hope to build from a modest start into a very well-known, very well-organized bicycling activity.”
All entries are available to view online at https://fallbikecelebration.org/bike-art-entries/.
