Cranksgiving

Giving thanks on two wheels
By Riley Momenee

It’s almost time for Cranksgiving: a food drive with a twist! It’s an alleycat style ride with the goal of bringing people together and supporting those experiencing food insecurity. The idea for Cranksgiving originated in 1999 in NYC and has steadily grown in popularity ever since, peaking in 2019 with 112 simultaneous events. Anyone with a bike, bags, and a few spare dollars can participate (and some locations, like the one in White River Junction, even have bikes they can loan you!). Hop on a bike to collect needed items at nearby stores, either racing your friends or taking your time to gather a huge donation! In many cases, there are awards for the speediest biker, the heaviest load, and the last one back. There is also usually food, snacks, beverages, and a sweet hang after the ride. Here are three Cranksgiving events in Vermont that you can take part in this year:

Upper Valley Haven, White River Junction, VT.
November 14, 10am. Same-day registration is allowed, or you can pre-register. This year there's a new ~40M route as well as a shorter route to choose from. Coffee, snacks, handwarmers, and warm soup will be provided. The ride starts at 10am, but get there earlier for time to enjoy a warm beverage and chat with your community! Donations will go to the Cranksgiving host, Upper Valley Haven. Once you've collected all your items and arrived at the finish, prizes will go to the speediest rides & the heaviest load! Last year's ride brought in 383 pounds of food. Learn more at vitalcommunities.org.

Old Spokes Home, Burlington, VT.
November 14, 10:30am. Gather all your friends, meet at Old Spokes Home, get a list of groceries and checkpoints, and be on your way! Free registration, ~$25 shopping list. All of the food will be donated to Feeding Champlain Valley. Prizes will be awarded for heaviest load, best costume, and more. Make sure to bring a bike with carrying capacity! It's always a blast and you can challenge yourself to see how many groceries you can really fit in your basket or pannier. It's time to crank– participation over competition! RSVP and learn more at oldspokeshome.com.

First Congregational Church of West Brattleboro, West Brattleboro, VT.
November 21, time TBD. Pre-registration is open now, and you don't have to wait for the ride to start raising money! Riders receive a weatherproof bib with a QR code, so anyone can scan it to donate. Wear your bib for a week or two on your commute, errands, etc before the event and give more people the chance to scan. This year’s Cranksgiving features a 16.5 mile route through West Brattleboro. If you want to help but can’t ride, you can still donate food during the event, donate money anytime, or volunteer to help this year’s Cranksgiving run smoothly. Hosted by Burrows Sports Shop. Learn more at burrowssports.com.

It’s important to note that while all registrations are free, you have to pay out of pocket for the food donations. Most events require (or at least strongly encourage) you to RSVP. Visit cranksgiving.org for more info on Cranksgiving events around the country and beyond. There is even one in Canada and one in the UK this year!