Meet Sherry, our June choice for Bike Hero of the Month! BikeDenver met Sherry when we were buying building materials to construct 25 new bike racks for our bike parking events this summer.  She is a Hurricane Katrina evacuee and yes, this is a true story. You’re going to love meeting her…

BikeDenver’s Bike Hero of the Month Awards highlight one person each month, and help encourage other people to bike by telling the Hero’s personal story. The goal of the Bike Hero Awards Program is to showcase the diversity of citizen-cyclists and the people who support them in Denver.

Sherry’s Story: Sherry lives in Aurora with her fiancee, her two daughters in their early twenties and a Yarka Snauzer Terrier named “Knottche” (roughly translated that means “not a diva” in Swahili). She is a semi-regular bike commuter to her job at Home Depot at Stapleton. Her commute takes about 45 minutes.  Nine of her co-workers are also semi-regular bike commuters.  What stands out about Sherry when you get to see her action at work is her infectious friendliness.  Working the customer service desk at Stapleton’s Home Depot seems to be a great fit (we saw her effusively greeting 3 different people, 2 of whom were clearly regular customers,  in one 10 minute span).  If you shop at Stapleton Home Depot and don’t know Sherry, chances are you will soon. Sherry is pictured here with her friend Phil, the hot-dog guy.  She promises she’ll be sending us a picture of her bike to post soon. 

How Sherry got to Denver: Sherry used to live in New Orleans. Five years ago, Hurricane Katrina forced her and her daughters into the Superdome for 9 days.  When the troops arrived they were transported on buses en route to the airport and put on planes to destinations unknown.  Sherry and one daughter arrived in Denver and got situated at the former Lowry Air Force Base.  Her other daughter got separated from her during the transition and ended up in LaGrange, Texas.  It took the family 4-5 months to re-unite with help from The Red Cross.

Her first year in Denver: When Sherry first got to Denver she was 335 lbs and she couldn’t breathe well because of the altitude.  She says: “I was gasping for breath and I could barely walk a block.”  Sherry bought a bike at Wal-Mart to commute to work – a one hour and 15 minute ride each way.  She’s still riding it – a 10-speed Mongoose she named “Pretty in Pink”.  That first year of biking she lost 110 lbs and has kept it off ever since.

Why Sherry Rides: She says: “Riding a bike got me used to breathing better.”  Her advice to others? “Take your first ride. Enjoy the seeing and the wind blowing in your face and the sun shining down on you giving you peace of mind.” Her advice might be rubbing off, as one of her daughters is about to start bike-commuting.  Sherry on what she loves about bicycling: “It’s free.  It gives you the spirit of being free and the sense that you can conquer anything. It gives you peace of mind.”  She enjoys the sights and interactions along the way, including prairie dogs, dog-walkers at all hours of the day and night, and friendly motorists who wave at her.

BikeDenver’s Executive Director Piep van Heuven says: “We introduced the Bike Hero awards because we want to encourage a friendly environment for and public image of bicyclists in Denver. One of the ways we can do this is to showcase the different faces of and great stories about people in our community, like Sherry, who ride bikes and help others get out there and ride. Through the Bike Hero awards, BikeDenver honors bicyclists of all ages and walks of life, from the first time bicyclist to the rain or shine bicyclist! We all know people (our neighbors, co-workers, family members or community leaders) who inspire us to reach for the handlebars instead of the car keys. Take a moment to look around you and help BikeDenver recognize the people in our community who are making a difference for Denver, one ride at a time!”

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Sign up HERE.

BikeDenver will once again provide free bike parking services at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival at two bike corrals at 2nd & Detroit (west) and 3rd & Steele (east). Find the corrals on the festival map by locating the bike icons here.  For Festival Fast Facts and “how to get there” click here.  To sign up to volunteer please see the link at the top of this news post or email bikeparking(at)bikedenver.org and include your fullname, email and phone, as well as your availability information. 

About the Festival: The Cherry Creek Arts Festival (CCAF) takes place 4th of July weekend, and the 20th Anniversary CCAF is July 3, 4, 5, 2010 (Saturday, Sunday, Monday). This annual event is a world-class and award-winning celebration of the visual, culinary and performing arts, and enjoys an attendance of 350,000 visitors over the 3-day event.  CCAF gives patrons the FREE, rare and special opportunity to meet and talk with international visual artists, sample fine cuisine, visit special exhibits and artist demonstrations, and entertain their families with interactive ‘Artivities’ and exciting performing arts. CCAF is proud to be considered Colorado’s signature cultural event and to be a nationally top-ranked and award-winning art show annually – both in the visual artist and special event/festival industries.

CCAF is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to provide access to a broad array of arts experiences and support arts education in Colorado. Along with the arts festival itself, CCAF fulfills its year-round art education and outreach mission through programs including the Mobile Art Gallery, Artist in Residence programs and the Janus Student Art Buying Program. Learn more here.

About BikeDenver’s bike parking service and volunteer opportunities:

We provide bicycle parking for free at a number of Denver community events. A $1 to $2 donation is suggested. This year, we have a number of exciting events we’re scheduled to park bikes for. Interested in helping out? Crack open the old calendar, see when you can spare a 3-4 hour chunk of time and drop us a line at bikeparking(at)bikedenver.org.

Upcoming Events:

July 25: 35 Urban Assault Volunteers needed! Sign up here: http://www.urbanassaultride.com/denver/volunteer/npo

September 4, 5, and 6:   A Taste of Colorado

September 11:   Tour de Fat

October 23:   Veloswap 

BikeDenver’s bike parking season is generously sponsored by the Denver Zoo.

When you support Denver Zoo, you support wildlife preservation everywhere. Denver Zoo is actively involved in animal conservation efforts.  Since 1994, Denver Zoo has participated in 526 projects in 55 countries. Learn more at www.denverzoo.org.  Preservation included with admission.

(Picture right: The team is on the Move near Ruby Hill Park as part of a project team kick off ride)

(Courtesy Denver Public Works) Mark you calendars for the first Denver Moves outreach event! Denver Moves: Making Bicycle and Pedestrian Connections in the Mile High City, will be holding this event at Confluence Park on Saturday, July 10th from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM rain or shine. The event will include an floor aerial that you can walk and draw on top of to indicate where bicycle and pedestrian improvements are needed in Denver.

Denver’s recent award for the Best Trail System in the United States from the National Recreation and Parks Association is not a surprise to most Denver residents. On any weekday or weekend, walkers, runners, in-line skaters, and bicyclists use these off-street trails, as well as the on-street mobility system, for recreation or transportation. Hundreds of thousands of people use this robust pedestrian and bicycle network every year, making Denver one of the most walkable and bikeable cities in the U.S .

Denver Moves is the next phase of making pedestrian and bicycle connections in the Mile High City. Not a traditional master plan, Denver Moves is an innovative project that builds upon the Bicycle Master Plan Update, Denver Parks and Recreation Game Plan and the Pedestrian Master Plan. It focuses on integrating the off-street and on-street networks identified in these past planning efforts to create safe, comfortable corridors that link neighborhoods, parks, employment centers, business districts, transit hubs, and other destinations in all parts of Denver.

The Departments of Parks and Recreation and Public Works have hired a multidisciplinary team of Fehr & Peers, Toole Design Group, and Wenk Associates to assist with Denver Moves.

(From Bicycle Colorado enewsletter) Bicycle Colorado is seeking an Education Program Contractor to be a part of our dynamic Safe Routes to School team.

Become a part of the movement to improve bicycling in Colorado! Complete job description and application instructions are located online through the link to PDF below.

Bicycle Colorado Job Announcement

(From the Bicycle Colorado ENewsletter) Bicycle Colorado is planning a rally to keep roads open to bicycling. On Tuesday, June 29th we will be gathering on the west steps of the state Capitol from 5:30 to 6:00 pm.

Please join us and make you voice heard as we show Colorado that bike bans won’t be tolerated in our state. The rally will be a great chance to join cycling advocates, state Senators Brophy and Romer and other concerned cyclists to oppose bike bans on public roads.

The rally comes in response to the recent bike ban in Black Hawk. Black Hawk’s Board of Alderman approved an ordinance banning bicycle riding on almost every street in Black Hawk. This includes the only paved street (Gregory Street-former State Highway 279) connecting the Peak to Peak Highway with the Central City Parkway.

Black Hawk police are now issuing a ticket to anyone “caught riding” through town.

If you are on Facebook you can RSVP here

Check out the FAQs on the Bicycle Colorado website

In the Summer 2010 BikeDenver Newsletter you will find:

• The Heat is on this Summer—details about police enforcement of bike laws and how you can stay legal and safe,
• The lowdown on our first batch of Bike Heros,
• New bike routes for 2010,
• The newest additions to our Bicycle Friendly Business list

Download the Summer 2010 BikeDenver Newsletter

To read this file, you need Adobe Acrobat. You can get their free Adobe Reader here.

Clif Bar and BikeDenver are pleased to announce Sweet Action Ice Cream as the June Bicycle Friendly Business of the Month. Sweet Action, at 52 Broadway in the Baker neighborhood, is an independent homemade ice cream shop that offers up 24 original and eclectic flavors like brown sugar banana, blueberry lavender, baklava, and salted butterscotch.

In addition to premium ice cream, Sweet Action offers fresh fruit sorbets, vegan ice cream, homemade popsicles, ice cream sandwiches and fresh sodas. The business works hard to be environmentally friendly.  They are 100% wind-powered, use compostable packaging materials, welcome bicyclists and use natural, local ingredients.  Every month they pick a flavor of the month and donate a portion of the proceeds to a local non-profit.  BikeDenver got the nod just this week with Sweet Action’s “bike grease” flavor (think fudge ripple). 

BikeDenver’s Bicycle Friendly Business (BFB) of the Month Awards help highlight organizations that are making standout contributions and offering great success stories from among BikeDenver’s Bicycle Friendly Business (BFB) Program members. The BFB program, with 100 honorees to-date, recognizes businesses, organizations and workplaces that are leading the way to make bicycling an easy and accepted form of transportation in Denver. Nominate a workplace as a Bicycle Friendly Business here.

What people are saying:

5280 Magazine (February, 2010) - “Sweet Action Ice Cream already serves the city’s most creative ice cream.”

Insider Pages Customer Review – “This is the most amazing ice cream shop. They have flavors that boggle the mind. Imagine Guiness in ice cream, or pepper or cupcakes from the Shoppe. They also have many tamer choices and all are made on site. They also have vegan frozen desserts. Very hip place to go.”

Westword - Who’d have thought that the hottest spot on SoBo would serve ice cream? When Samantha Kopicko and Chia Basinger opened their storefront spot in 2009, they just wanted to serve up the very best homemade ice cream they could, using milk and cream from Diamond D Natural Dairy and spices from Savory Spice Shop to create dozens of truly cool new flavors — including the incredible Stranahan’s Whiskey Brickle, featuring Colorado’s own whiskey. But in the process, they’ve become a must-stop for all the hipsters heading out for a night on the town.” (Westword tapped Sweet Action as Best New Store on Broadway in 2009 and Best Newfangled Ice Cream Parlour in 2010).