Lifeline 100 Event Registration To Support County Food Bank

Join the Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks, Anne Arundel County Police Department and Bicycle Advocates for Annapolis and Anne Arundel County (BikeAAA) on October 3 for the seventh annual Lifeline 100 community bicycle event, which starts and ends at Kinder Farm Park in Millersville.

Lifeline 100 features scenic trails and roadways to spotlight cycling awareness, safety and its benefits. The event typically attracts more than 800 participants from ages 4 to 84 of all abilities and a wide range of bikes including road bikes, hybrids, mountain bikes, cruisers, tandems, recumbents, adaptive and trikes. Over the past six years, the event has generated more than $200,000 in proceeds for nonprofit beneficiaries and has won an award from the Maryland Recreation and Parks Association.

In recognition of Hunger Action Month, the event will donate 30% of all registration fees collected September 1 to September 12 to the Anne Arundel County Food Bank (AACFB). The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant detrimental impact on food insecurity in Anne Arundel County. Since March 2020, AACFB has witnessed a 482% increase in the number of people seeking assistance at food pantries and, in response, distributed nearly 7.4 million pounds of food throughout Anne Arundel County. Today, AACFB continues to see an average of 64,000 people per month that rely on its food and basic necessity programs.

The need for food donations in Anne Arundel County remains high. In recent months, AACFB has experienced a 76% drop-off in food donations. Furthermore, due to the pandemic, AACFB saw one of its largest food drives canceled for the second year in a row; the drive typically generates roughly 40,000 pounds in food donations for the people of Anne Arundel County.

AACFB is also a partner with BikeAAA, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, Anne Arundel Medical Center and Crofton Bike Doctor in the Wheels of Hope, program which collects used bikes that are refurbished by volunteers and provided with new helmets to adults and children in need. Many adult bikes are placed with people without cars and in need of transportation. The Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks has partnered with AACFB with Donation Trailers in the Parks, an award-winning program to collect food and other essentials.

Lifeline 100 will take cyclists through 100- and 65-mile scenic routes with views of the Severn River, Chesapeake Bay, historic Annapolis and more. The 30- and 15-mile flat, paved trail routes are great for riders of all ages and abilities including families, adaptive bikes and people with special needs who can register at a two-for-one rate with their accompanying rider thanks to Ride Leader sponsor Prophasys. All routes are fully supported with route maps and markings, rest stops and SAG vehicles.

The free children’s bike rodeo for ages 4-10, provided by PedalPowerKids, will return on October 3 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm for a fun and educational experience. The bike rodeo will include a short bike safety check, helmet instruction and safe riding tips followed by a kids’ obstacle riding course that includes turns, stops and crossings. Reserve a free time slot at www.lifeline100.com/rodeo.

For full event details and registration information, visit www.lifeline100.com.