July 27, 2011 at 4:24 p.m.
Hodag BMX Club racers raise money for cancer
Hodag BMX Club racers raise money for cancer
By Andrew Hildebrand-
Todd Kingsbury, a young boy from Michigan who dreamed of one day becoming a professional BMX racer was diagnosed with the disease in 1981. Not long after, the American Bicycle Association (ABA) caught wind of Kingsbury's diagnosis and was inspired to create a BMX themed benefit for him.
It was the very first of many ABA sponsored "Race for Life" events. That year, over 130 tracks across the country took part, raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
In the 30 years since Kingsbury was diagnosed, the ABA has annually held the Race for Life events nationwide in a tireless effort to cure blood related cancers.
This year, the Hodag BMX club will continue to be a strong participant in the program.
"We've been a part of it ever since we became an ABA member in 1999," said club president Brian Sturtevant. "Our current racers are already drumming up sponsors for this year's charity."
The group has an impressive history of raising large amounts of money for the cause.
"One year, Hodag BMX ranked second in money raised in the entire country," Sturtevant said. "We raise a minimum of $1,500 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society every year."
What makes the event such a draw is largely the format of the race. On any given week, the Hodag BMX track hosts races every Monday and Friday. These operate as the standard single point races.
This weekend, races will be anything but ordinary.
"This is our big weekend," Sturtevant said. "In addition to our normal single point races, we have a double point race on Saturday, which is the Race for Life and another double point race on Sunday, which is a state qualifier."
A double point race is exactly what it sounds like. Points that would be earned in a standard race are doubled, which greatly benefits riders.
Saturday's Race for Life is also the only race in the entire year that does not require an ABA membership to participate in. This means the event can be used to create public awareness of the sport and attract new interest.
"People come from all over for the double point races," Sturtevant said. "Because Sunday is our state qualifying race, we expect our largest crowd. Racers need to compete in at least three state qualifying races before the state competition, so we will have a lot of visitors from outside the area competing."
This kind of format spawns exciting racing and spectators are encouraged to stop by.
Registration for the races begins at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, with races beginning just after noon.
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