Second Annual BerkShares Bike-a-Thon and Birthday BBQ
Will Benefit a Dozen Non-Profits

BerkShares, the historic local currency in Berkshire County, is turning five, and what better way to celebrate than a bike ride through the countryside followed by homegrown music and some local eats? The BerkShares Bike-a-Thon and Birthday BBQ takes place on Sunday, September 25, 2011, at the Route 7 Grill. The ride begins promptly at 2, covering a ten-mile loop through the towns of Great Barrington, Sheffield, and Egremont, with the beautiful Sheffield-Egremont corridor at its heart. The BBQ runs from 4 to 7, featuring a delicious buffet dinner prepared by the Route 7 Grill, and live music by the Mary Jimmons Band and the Easy Ridin’ Papas. Tickets are 20 BerkShares or 25 U.S. dollars. Riders who raise 100 dollars/BerkShares or more in pledges eat for free. All events are open to the public. You don’t have to participate in the bike-a-thon to attend the BBQ.

The BerkShares Bike-a-Thon is a collaborative effort, with a dozen local nonprofits getting on board for the ride: the Appalachian Mountain Club, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Berkshire Bike Path Committee, Berkshire Grown, Egremont Land Trust, Friends of the Du Bois Home Site, Great Barrington River Walk, Great Barrington Trails and Greenways, Greenagers, Project Native, Railroad Street Youth Project, and the Sheffield Land Trust. These partner organizations are recruiting riders, and in exchange, BerkShares is giving 25% of the pledges those rider receive back the nonprofit that recruited them. To foster greater awareness of our local nonprofit organizations, each group will have its educational information on display at the event.

The business community has generously come forward to support the BerkShares Bike-a-Thon. Major support comes from Berkshire Bike and Board and Berkshire’s Best, and the following businesses are among those sponsoring part of the route: Abbott’s Limousine, Alan Glackman CPA, Baba Louie’s, Berkshire Bank, Berkshire Co-op Market, Berkshire Mountain Bakery, Berkshire Mountain Spring Water, Berkshire Record, Berkshire Property Agents, Bra & Girl, Campo di Fiori, Community Development Corporation of South Berkshire, Community Land Trust in the Southern Berkshires, DeVante Designz, DeVries Building Supply, Domaney’s, Fuel, Guido’s, Gypsy Joynt, Hardcastle Company, Herrington’s, Joe Wilkinson Excavating, Kwik Print, Lee Bank, Local Woodworks, New Economics Institute, Rawson Brook Farm, Red Lion Inn, Salisbury Bank and Trust, Seward’s Tires, Smith Contracting, The Brick House, Tom’s Toys, Wheeler & Taylor, and WSBS.

Registration for the BerkShares Bike-a-Thon is from 1:00 to 1:30 at the Route 7 Grill, and the ride begins promptly at 2:00. Rider information packets can be downloaded from www.berkshares.org, requested from one of the nonprofit partner groups, or picked up at Berkshire Bike and Board (get a tune up while you’re there!). The majority of the funds raised from the BerkShares Bike-a-Thon will support the efforts of BerkShares Inc. to nurture a robust local economy in the Berkshire region. For more information, visit www.berkshares.org or call 413/528-1737.

Support your favorite rider - pledge here.