VBF’s own Bud Vye has been named 2009 Advocate of the Year by the Alliance for Biking and Walking, formerly known as the Thunderhead Alliance. This award is given to bike-ped advocates who show true leadership and set an example for others, with their creativity, knowledge, and committment to grassroots campaigns.
I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this award than Bud. He’s at the state Capitol almost every day during the legislative session, working with legislators on behalf of cyclists and pedestrians, not to mention his work as Advocacy Chair and key volunteer for RABA.
Bud will be honored along with other Alliance Advocacy Award recipients tonight, Tuesday March 10, 8:30pm, at the Elephant and Castle, 1201 Pennsylvania Ave NW #2, Washington DC. If you’re in DC for the Bike Summit, stop by for the festivities!
Please contact VBF President Allen Muchnick to get in to see your legislators during the Bike Summit. All Virginia constituents are welcome.
Below is the completed and updated list of all Virginia Bike Summit lobby visits for next Thursday, March 12. All meetings are scheduled with staff, not the Congressman or Senator. This schedule is still subject to change if a staff person develops a scheduling conflict.
Besides meeting with your own representative, everyone is free to join or skip all the other meetings, including the two Senate meetings. The latter will likely be crowded and may be held standing in a hallway.
Thank you again for participating in the National Bike Summit. I look forward to seeing everyone at the Virginia coordination meeting at 5 PM on Wednesday afternoon.
Allen Muchnick, president
Virginia Bicycling Federation
allenmuchnick@yahoo.com
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Update: look for Barbara Duerk and the Cross-State riders. The Cap2Cap ride will be the first leg of their journey this year. Barbara will be wearing a yellow vest that says, “Bicycles may use full lane.” They’ll be starting late, but eastbound riders will encounter them coming the other way. Don’t forget to say “hi” and cheer them on!
Join over 1000 riders for one of Virginia’s largest cycling events, the Capital to Capital Ride on May 9, a fundraiser for the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation. When completed, this 55-mile trail will connect past and present capitals of Williamsburg, Jamestown and Richmond, along the scenic Route 5 corridor.
Cap2Cap is unique with starts at both ends, Richmond and Williamsburg, meeting in the middle. A variety of course options offers something for everyone, including families with kids. The 2009 event features: [continue reading…]
March 30th through April 3rd Virginia Tech will compete against University of Virginia in a bike race to Uganda! Bike to Uganda is a project of the Poverty Awareness Coalition for Tomorrow, and Building Tomorrow. This race will raise awareness and funds to build a primary school in Uganda giving hundreds of children their first chance to learn in a classroom.
Stationary bikes will be set up on Virginia Tech (Blacksburg) and University of Virginia (Charlottesville) campuses. Volunteers will be biking from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday. There will be prizes, live performances, information sessions and much more going on throughout the week.
The goals of this event are to raise awareness about the needs of children who deserve a chance to learn safely in a school with their peers; to raise $45,000 dollars, enough to fund an entire school in Uganda including land, labor, and desks for the classrooms; and of course to have fun! [continue reading…]
Thunderhead Alliance, the leading coalition of bike-ped groups in North America, has changed its name to the Alliance for Biking and Walking. The new name better reflects the organization’s mission, and communicates what it does. Note the new URL too, www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org
The Alliance brings advocates and advocacy groups together to share information and best practices, through a lively mailing list as well as conferences and training sessions.
At VBF we’re enthusiastic members and supporters of the Alliance. We encourage all bike-ped advocates to join. The mailing list alone is well worth the price of membership. (It would be great if our municipality staffs would all join!) An upcoming VBF retreat will feature an Alliance “Winning Campaigns” training session.
The Alliance has issued a press release about the name change, with more information about the organization and its activities.
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