COURTESY OF VISIT OAK PARK
The 8th annual Wright Ride on Sunday, August 18, 2013 attracted cyclists from all over the Chicagoland area and beyond. Presented by the Oak Park Cycle Club, Visit Oak Park, and the Oak Park Regional Housing Center, this year’s event was much anticipated, due to no 2012 event, and the expressed desire for the Wright Ride’s return in 2013.
The Wright Ride is back on track as an annual event for cycle enthusiasts or the recreational rider. This year’s event drew just under 300 cyclists from Oak Park and surrounding communities to take part in rides that toured through architecturally significant neighborhoods in the west Cook County area. The Ride included 10, 30 and 50 mile routes for cyclists to select, with over half of the participants opting for the longer 50 mile route. The surplus revenue from the event was given to Oak Park Regional Housing Center to support the many programs offered through that organization.
Sponsors of Wright Ride 2013 included Forest Park Chamber; Forest Park National Bank; Downtown Oak Park; Bike Fix; The Kinderhook Tap; Ferd Johnson Painting & Decorating; Greenline Wheels; Bikefix; Dan’s Bike Shop; Lake Theatre; Wednesday Journal; Element Cycle Shop; Sugar Fixe; Competitive Foot; Park District of Oak Park; and Rickshaw Rick. All were important contributors towards making this year’s Ride a success.
About 30 volunteers from all three coordinating sponsor organizations were on hand the day of the event for registration, providing directions, food and water stations and finish line snacks. Noting the success of the event due to heavy volunteer participation, Oak Park Cycle Club member Tom McGee said, “In addition to involvement on the part of its own members, the Oak Park Cycle Club received great volunteer support from the ride’s co-sponsors, Visit Oak Park and The Oak Park Regional Housing Center. They were involved in the planning stages, and turned out in numbers on the day of the ride to handle registration, and provide rest stop and on-route rider support.” Many of the riders also decided to take advantage and remain in the area, choosing to dine and shop in the surrounding districts.
With popularity among this year’s riders, and a large interest in returning next year, the 9th Annual Wright Ride is scheduled for Sunday, August 17th, 2014.
