Bike ride to aid land trust

BANGOR – Bangor Land Trust will hold its annual fundraising event at 9 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 14, on Bangor’s waterfront, Front and Railroad streets.

“Frogs, Logs and Bogs Road Ride” is a 20-mile bicycle road ride beginning and ending at the waterfront. The route follows Route 2 through Veazie and Orono, crossing over to Stillwater Avenue by way of Kelly Road and turning left on Forest Avenue to return to the waterfront by way of Essex Street.

The event is sponsored by Merrill Bank and St. Joseph Healthcare.

Other sponsors are Ames A/E, Bangor Daily News, Bangor Hydro-Electric, Husson College, Maine Commercial Tire, Quirk Auto Park, Sea Dog Brewing Co., WBRC Architects-Engineers, Beal College, Casco Bay Energy, Gross, Minsky, and Mogul, Kiss 94.5 FM, UBS, Bagel Central, Bangor Federal Credit Union, Bangor Wine and Cheese, Caf? Nouveau, Epic Sports, Miller Drug, Pat’s Bike Shop, Rudman and Winchell, Rose Bicycle, Ski Rack Sports, TriathleteSports.com and Woodard and Curran.

The road ride is the land trust’s major event to raise funds for stewardship of its lands and to increase the trust’s presence in the community.

Funds raised through registration fees from individuals or teams at $35 per person, along with sponsorships, will be used to ready the lands for public use and properly care for the more than 300 acres of land. It is a family-friendly activity where participants can have fun while contributing to a good cause.

The Bangor Land Trust will display its Frogs, Logs and Bogs logo. Teacher Melissa Burns at John Bapst Memorial High School enlisted her art class to submit entries for the trust’s logo. Joe Leonard’s entry was chosen.

Participants in the road ride will receive a T-shirt, goody bag and a celebration afterward with food, music and prizes. The top three fundraisers will receive prizes from local businesses, and each participant who raises more than $100 will be entered in a drawing for additional prizes.

First prize is a SpeedZone p-brain cycling computer and altimeter. Second prize is a bike package from Rose Bicycle with helmet, tune-up voucher and $25 gift certificate. Third prize is an Epic Sports $50 gift certificate. Additional prizes include a Bell helmet, Caf? Nouveau gift certificate, Bangor Wine and Cheese gift certificate, and three Triathlete Sports gift certificates.

Register at www.bangorlandtrust.org.

Registration forms are available at area businesses and at the land trust office at 27 State St. Or visit www.bangorlandtrust.org

A preregistration session will be held 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12, at the land trust office.

Ride-day registration will be 7:30-8:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, then a welcome address and short bike safety session. The ride will begin at 9 a.m. Participants will be assisted throughout the ride by a sweeper bike breakdown van, medical teams, volunteers at major intersections and a half-way rest stop.

A post-ride celebration will be held 10 a.m.-noon with refreshments, music and awards presentations.

Community members are encouraged to sign up early. The limit is 200 participants. Register as an individual or as a three- to five-member team.

Bangor Land Trust needs volunteers beginning in mid-September to join its planning committees and prepare for race day. Volunteers will mark the route, set up tents and tables, set up refreshments, register riders, drive the sweeper van, direct parking and direct participants along the route. Those who wish to volunteer should call Chandra McGee at 942-1010 or e-mail chandra.mcgee@verizon.net.