News from the Foodbank

So, we just heard from Eastern Illinois Foodbank that the total weight Chambana Cranksgiving 2010 hauled in - 1,921 pounds - is the equivalent of 1,478 meals for local families. NICE WORK, EVERYONE! We can't wait to see what we can do next year.

See more information from the Foodbank about Chambana Cranksgiving here.

By the Numbers

58 riders...1 TV interview...1 blown tube...1 self-destructing trailer...0 crashes...27 business sponsors...$2000 in donated prizes and after-party refreshments...

1921 pounds of food!

1 hugely successful Chambana Cranksgiving.

In three years, we have donated over 3400 pounds of food for Eastern Illinois Foodbank. Congratulations, everyone, (and particularly to Charlie Smyth, this year's grand prize winner of a Chrome jersey, Heel to Toe socks, and, of course, an Urban Velo beer cozy in the category of Most Generous Individual), for making Chambana Cranksgiving an annual event and a community institution. We're already looking forward to our fourth annual event but, in the meantime, check out the upcoming Parade of Lights, of which Champaign County Bikes is a part. Thank you to all of our cyclists, sponsors, donors, and volunteers for making this year's event a record one. See you next year!

A slideshow of pictures from this year's event can be found here.

Chambana Cranksgiving on TV!

WCIA 3 covered Cranksgiving on their 5:30 and 10:00 news tonight. Check out the slot online and see if you can find yourself!

http://illinoishomepage.net/fulltext/?nxd_id=193097

And check back here tomorrow to see how much food our third annual event raised....because we're pretty sure it was A LOT. Nice work, everyone - battling the wind AND hauling what is sure to be record amounts of food. Countless families in eastern Illinois appreciate the effort you made today in putting food on their tables this holiday season.

It's just around the corner

I can't believe the amount of prizes we have to give away. We don't have a total value for everything yet but we easily have well over $1000 in prizes for our cyclists. I am blown away by our sponsors' generosity and am hopeful that everyone who comes out to participate will follow their lead and make this our most successful Cranksgiving yet.

So many prizes

We just got a package from Twin Six and let me tell you that we have some absolutely awesome prizes up for grabs! Come out and participate and you'll walk away with some amazing prizes and a meal to boot.

FREE Bike Light for First 50 Riders

A free bar-end bike light will be given to each of the first 50 registrants for Chambana Cranksgiving 2010! Lexco Bike, a regional bicycle parts distributor in Chicago, is on board this year and has generously sent us a box of lights, which we can't wait to pass on to our cyclists. Don't forget: there is no pre-registration; registration begins at 1 pm on Sunday afternoon, with the race and after-party to follow. So, come get your free light, ride a bike, and feed the hungry!

Chambana Cranksgiving on WEFT 90.1 FM

Check it out! An interview about Cranksgiving aired on WEFT on Friday, November 5. The link to the podcast is here - our portion starts about 3/4 of the way through the show.

Many thanks to Joel Gillespie and Smile Politely for this opportunity!

Why we do this

This article shows why we continue to run Cranksgiving

http://www.smilepolitely.com/news/hunger_in_the_heartland_pt._1/

Prizes for All

Wow, the enthusiastic response to our third annual Chambana Cranksgiving from the business community has been overwhelming. From bike gear to nights out at local restaurants and grocery money, from gallery gift certificates to manicures and, yes, even a tarot reading, we've got you covered. So, come out for a few hours of riding and after-partying on the 14th, and go home with the pleasure of knowing you've helped out our community while being tangibly rewarded too.

Billboards No More

Twin Six, the company behind the effort to make cyclists no longer look like billboards when out riding, is on board Chambana Cranksgiving 2010! We're eagerly awaiting a surprise box from them in the mail, which is sure to contain an awesome prize for a Cranksgiving cyclist. Check out their gear at twinsix.com and be sure to come out on November 14 for a chance to win their contribution.

Local Love

We're feeling the local Chambana love today after hearing from two of our favorite downtown spots, Farren's and Esquire, who have donated gift certificates for Cranksgiving racers. Mmm...the Russell...Grilled Chicken Strawberry Salad...Greek Pizza...

Maybe it's time for lunch.

Thank you, Farren's and Esquire!

Great Prize

We just heard from Wald that they're again sending us some love this year - in the form of a front basket complete with a funky liner. They've been a great supporter of Chambana Cranksgiving, and we're thrilled to have them on board again. Check them out at waldsports.com, and be sure to ride Chambana Cranksgiving 2010 for a chance to win this sweet prize.

Lots of sponsors

Hey, there are a lot of new sponsors listed over on the sponsors page! Go and check them out and maybe click on a few links. All of them have generously donated great prizes for our racers.

Stepping up our Game

Wow! We are back again for a third year and super excited about making this the best year yet. Cranksgiving will be on November 14th starting and finishing at The Bike Project (Urbana location). An important part of that is a new sponsor... drum roll please....Chrome Messenger Bags. I am crazy excited that they have signed on as a sponsor this year. Send them some love by checking out their products and maybe buying a few things.

Here is the link to their website
http://www.chromebagsstore.com/