Cranksgiving facts for kids

Cranksgiving is a special yearly event where people ride their bikes in a fun race, like a scavenger hunt. It's also a way to help others! Cyclists ride to different grocery stores, buy food items, and then donate all the food to local food pantries. These food pantries help families who need extra support.

This event usually happens around the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. It started in New York City in 1999 and has grown a lot since then. Now, Cranksgiving events take place in many cities across the United States and even in other countries!

What is Cranksgiving?

The Idea Behind the Race

Cranksgiving is a unique event that combines a bike ride with a food drive. It's often called an "alleycat" style race. An alleycat is a type of bike race that started with bicycle messengers. Instead of following a set path, riders get a list of checkpoints or tasks they need to complete. They figure out their own best route to finish the race.

But Cranksgiving is different from a traditional alleycat race. It's not just about being the fastest. It's more about teamwork and helping the community. People often describe it as "part bike ride, part food drive, part scavenger hunt." Riders get a shopping list and visit different stores to buy specific food items.

How Cranksgiving Helps

The main goal of Cranksgiving is to collect food for people in need. All the food collected by the cyclists is given to local food pantries. These organizations then distribute the food to families and individuals who are facing hunger. It's a great way for cyclists to use their passion for biking to make a positive difference in their communities.

The History of Cranksgiving

Starting in New York City

The very first Cranksgiving event took place on November 20, 1999. It was started by Antonio Rodrigues, a bicycle messenger in New York City. He had the clever idea to turn a fun bike race into a way to collect food for charity. This simple idea quickly became very popular.

Growing Across the World

Over the years, Cranksgiving has grown from a small event in New York City to a worldwide movement.

• By 2009, the New York event had 118 participants and collected over $1000 worth of food. Many other cities also started their own Cranksgiving events.
• In 2015, the New York event saw 300 riders. They collected an amazing 3,000 pounds (1,400 kg) of food! This included many turkeys and hundreds of jars of baby food.
• By 2019, Cranksgiving was truly global. There were 112 events held in 42 states across the U.S., as well as in the United Kingdom and Canada.
• That same year, over 20,000 pounds (9,100 kg) of food was collected in Kansas City alone.
• In New York City, there were even three separate events in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx. Citibike offered free bikes for participants, making it easier for more people to join.
• The Seattle event collected 2,223 pounds (1,008 kg) of food, and a separate event in West Seattle added another 1,195 pounds (542 kg).
• In 2020, an event in State College, Pennsylvania, had 89 participants. They collected over 1,400 pounds (640 kg) of food, valued at nearly $2500.

These numbers show how much good Cranksgiving does every year!

How a Cranksgiving Event Works

The Basic Rules

While each Cranksgiving event might be a little different, they all follow some basic rules. Event organizers get a set of guidelines to help them plan.

• Cyclists are usually given a list of grocery stores they need to visit.
• Riders decide their own best routes to get to each store. This is part of the "scavenger hunt" fun!
• At each store, riders buy specific items from a shopping list. These items are chosen to be helpful for food pantries.
• At the end of the race, all the purchased food is brought to a central location and donated to a local charity.

What Riders Need

There is no entry fee to join Cranksgiving. However, riders usually spend about $15 to $20 of their own money to buy the food items on their shopping list. This small cost helps make a big difference for families in need. It's a wonderful way to combine a love for cycling with a spirit of giving back.

Images for kids

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  A typical Cranksgiving shopping list

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  A cargo bike loaded with food collected during Cranksgiving