Tour de Fat raises $2 million • Bikes Belong awards community grants
FT. COLLINS, CO (BRAIN) Monday June 11 2012 9:53 AM MT—New Belgium Brewing's Tour de Fat, which began 13 years ago, has passed the $2 million mark for total funds raised.
Tour de Fat is now a 15-city nation-wide series of free events that include costumed bike parades, live entertainment, bike competitions (like the “slowest race” and bike jousting) and more. Money raised through beer and merchandise purchases is donated to local nonprofit organizations generally focused on bike advocacy.
Monday June 11 2012 10:09 AM MT—Bikes Belong has awarded grant awards to eight projects through its Community Grant program, as well as two grants awarded through its Research Grant program.
The grants program is funded by Bikes Belong's employee pro purchase program whose participating companies include Trek, Specialized, Fuji, Giant, Cannondale and Shimano.
Since the program began in 1999, Bikes Belong has awarded 245 grants in 48 states and the District of Columbia, granting $1.9 million in cash and leveraging more than $659 million in federal, state, and private funding.