Baltimore Cyclists Pedal to Fight Hunger in 11th Annual Cranksgiving
BALTIMORE – Hundreds of cyclists took to the streets of Baltimore today for the 11th annual Cranksgiving event,a unique scavenger hunt on wheels aimed at collecting food donations for local food assistance programs. Approximately 350 riders participated, racing between grocery stores to purchase specific items before competing teams could clear the shelves.
Organized by BikeMore, the event challenges participants to gather a list of designated food items and deliver them to partner organizations, the Franciscan Center and Moveable Feast.
“We’ve got about 350 riders today, and so they’ll go out to different grocery stores, buy a bunch of food, and donate them to our food partners,” said Jed Weeks, executive director of BikeMore. “It’s really exciting – you literally have to go to this grocery store to get these items, go to that grocery store to get those items, and hopefully the 5 teams haven’t beaten you there and gotten everything out the aisle.”
Cranksgiving typically generates significant donations, with riders historically collecting a couple thousand pounds of food.This year’s event is particularly crucial, as organizers report a dramatic increase in the need for food assistance.
“It’s been really touch and go over the last year or so, right? Funds haven’t been coming in or threatened to not be coming in the way they used to,” Weeks explained.
Participating cyclists echoed the urgency of the mission.”Because of some of the federal layoffs and maybe some of the changes in SNAP benefits, I think there may be a lot of families out there who take it for granted they’re gonna have a lovely Thanksgiving dinner, and not everybody has that advantage and benefit,” said cyclist Ellen Sheridan.
The event underscores the growing food insecurity facing Baltimore residents and highlights the role of community initiatives in addressing the challenge.
