9th Annual Cranksgiving

The 9th Annual Cranksgiving will take place on November 21 at 7pm. Cranksgiving is part bike race and part food drive that directly benefits the Homeless Action Network of Albany.

You’ll need a bike, bag, thirteen bucks and lock to participate. Racers are given lists of groceries to purchase at different grocery stores around Albany. You get the list, figure out the fastest route and start riding and shopping when they say go. Once you’re done, the food all gets donated.

You can read more about the Cranksgiving in general at cranksgiving.org.

The full release:

About
“A charity race for freedom from want.

Saturday November 21st @ 7pm!

Need more incentive? More information? This is the ninth Albany Cranksgiving (obviously with the IX). So, even more the reason to make it out this weekend! This “event 100% DIRECTLY benefits the Homeless Action Network of Albany.

How does it work? You meet other like minded cyclists that want to give back & help the community. You get a manifest (a small shopping list). Every cyclist gets a different manifest. Some will be riding to the same grocery store, but for different items. You lock your bike. Find and purchase the items from the list. Then ride to the next store for other items on your manifest (keep your receipts so we know you didn’t do a one-stop-shop). And even if you do – your UCI license will not get pulled! Continue this until thoroughly cooked! Think of it as speed-grocery-shopping by bike. Some people ride fast, and can’t shop. Or get stuck behind a dozen people buying cases of beer (my excuse for being slow). Point being, there’s no points. There’s only one winner, and that’s the people HAC help. That warm feeling you get as you’re loading a volunteer’s car full of food? That’s second place, which means you still podium-ed! YEAH YOU! Your mom will be proud! And you can tell her you made new friends too! And your non-riding significant other won’t be mad, because you’re helping others, even though you’re out “riding around. Awesome!

“How can I play?! Easy, meet at the soldiers monument in Washington Park (by Henry Johnson & State) at 6:30pm. Manifests will be handed out. Depart at 7:00 pm. IT’S FREE! But you’ll be purchasing about $13 of groceries. Plus any money for food and drinks afterwards – you did burn some calories! It should last about two hours, so check with your parents on the curfew thing, AND DRESS WARM! Remember what mom says about fingers & toes & your head.

What else? Your bike (obviously). $13 in cash or plastic. A bag/backpack to carry everything. A lock, unless you like walking back with bags of groceries. Lights/blinkies, helmet, and COMMON SENSE are ALWAYS recommended. And a caring attitude and a sense of fun help. No UCI officials. No entry fee. You can have bar ends. Any tire width is legal. No governing body. We’re gonna ride bikes and feed people, and have fun doing it!

Need more incentive?

1. Buy more than what’s on your manifest & impress everyone with your hauling abilities….

2. Show up late, and still beat people with a 15-20 minute lead… seems to happen each year.

3. Hope that J and Stacy show up with a big bag of goodies, and you ride home with something you didn’t realize you wanted (bonus!). Goodies guaranteed!

4. Super cool spoke card to give your bike that extra flair!

5. Finish a good night of riding with some hot pizza & a well deserved beverage.

6. Do something new! Easy enough.

Pre-registration via email to J at deerintheheadlights@rocketmail.com is encouraged for planning purposes. Dear god help me make a better guess at how many of these damn spoke cards I gotta make.