Roots Pursuit – Totally Fun

Volunteer organizer extraordinaire Angela Earnhart sends us the following report from this past weekend’s Roots Pursuit:

Thanks to everyone participating in the Roots Pursuit last weekend!!!  This being the first year, I know none of you knew quite what to expect, so kudos for being brave enough to check it out!  Seems like everyone had a great time and we look forward to doing it again next year.  If you have any feedback, feel free to let me know.

THANK-YOUS

As the organizer, finding reliable volunteers was perhaps my biggest challenge, so when these people stepped up, I was soooooooooo grateful!

1)  City Park was staffed by Kootenai Environmental Alliance (KEA), the primary sponsor for this event.

2)  East Tubbs Hill Park was staffed by Coeur d”Alene’s Bike & Pedestrian Committee.

3)  Phippeny Park was staffed by KEA’s Community Roots program and the great people at  The Mary House. 

Oh, and Terry Harris!  He had the tough job of hanging out at Java for 2 hours, watching all of you walk in, look for him, and shout out some awesome Queen lyrics.  He is the executive director of KEA.

Also, Coeur d’Alene’s Bike To Work Week Committee helped secure all the stuff that participants went home with.  So thanks to Monte, Chris, and Charlie for all those efforts, and for letting our event be part of Bike to Work Week.

Here are the businesses that contributed the good stuff.  Next time you visit them, please let them know what a great time you had at the Roots Pursuit and give them a big thanks:

Java on Sherman

Terra Sports

North Idaho Eye Institute

Doma Coffee Roasting Company

Mountain View Cyclery & Fitness

Two Wheeler Dealer

Bicycle Sales & Service

Coeur d’Alene Cycling & Fitness

Vertical Earth

KEA has more photos of the event on their facebook page. (Scroll down their “wall” just a bit and click on the Roots Pursuit link).

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Also, if you completed the Roots Pursuit challenges at Phippeny Park, you now know a bit more about KEA’s Local Food Share program.  We are currently looking for volunteers to help us with our Wednesday night produce distributions.  This begins the first week in July and runs through the end of the summer.  It involves bringing your bike down to the Shared Harvest garden, attaching a cart to it, and heading to the downtown farmer’s market (with a fellow volunteer) to pick up any leftover produce that the farmers wish to donate.  You would then bring it back to the garden, help sort & weigh it, and then bike to some of the soup kitchens/shelters/transitional homes in the immediate area to deliver it.  The entire process starts around 6:30 and takes between 1-2 hours, depending on how much food there is.  It’s low-key and kind of fun, and it’s always rewarding to be delivering such fresh, beautiful, local food to people and places who may normally not be able to afford it. 

 If this sounds like something you would like to participate in, or if you just want more information, please let us know. 

THANKS AGAIN to all our participants, volunteers, sponsors – the Roots Pursuit was such a great time.

UPDATE: The Coeur d’Alene Ped / Bike blog has more fun pictures.