MICHIGAN REGION

save the
date

BirrninghAin Bike
festival

Sunday, August

28th
For the love
of the bike!

v.)

Jeff Surnow

is always

ready to ride.

Sunday, November 6, 2011 i 7:00
Congregation Shaarey ledek

Honoring

Susan and
Rabbi Joseph KraKoff

with the justice Louis D. Brandeis Award

Nick Israel

with the Young Leadership Award

with special entertainment

in concert "Our Three Cantors"

Meir Finkelstein I Daniel Gross I Michael Smolash

To join the Tribute Committee or for more information contact:

ZOA-Michigan Region

(248) 66i -6000

22

August 25 2011

kobi@mizoa.org

Birmingham Bike Festival will celebrate
the benefits of bicycle riding.

T

he Birmingham Bike Festival
will be held from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 28, in downtown
Birmingham. The festival will feature
races, vendors, safety clinics and fun for
all ages.
This new bike festival, presented by
leading sponsor, Bank of Birmingham,
has been brought to the city with the
goal of exposing the community to the
many positive aspects of riding a bicycle.
Jeff Surnow, 59, a Birmingham
commercial real estate developer and
advanced cyclist, hatched the idea as a
way of making Birmingham more "bike-
friendly."
"We want to highlight the health ben-
efit of the exercise itself, along with the
environmental and economical benefits
of riding a bike Surnow said. "The fes-
tival will showcase how biking can be
a safe method of transportation, make
people aware of the local organized bike
rides in the area and highlight the simple
fact that it's fun."
Surnow, who also mountain bikes,
recently completed his ninth 300-mile,
three-day Make-A-Wish Foundation
of Michigan ride as part of Team Alex,
made up largely of Jewish members. He
and his wife, Elaine, and son, Max, are
members of Temple Israel.
The bike festival will have activities for
children and adults. There will be a bike
valet provided for those who choose to
ride to the festival. Races, from amateur
to those involving professional cyclists,
will be held from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. through
the streets of downtown Birmingham.
The course will begin and end on West
Maple at Henrietta Street, traveling along
sections of Maple, Bates, Martin, Pierce,
Merrill and Old Woodward.
Top racers from each category that
requires an entry fee can win cash prizes
with a purse up to $10,000. The free "fun

races" for children, family members and
community employees will be awarded
prizes and gifts.
A Bike Fair will be held in Shain
Park with booths set up from local
Birmingham retailers and restaurants.
Additionally, bicycle manufacturers such
as Trek, athletic clothing, accessories
lines and nutritional products will be
demonstrated and sold at booths.
"The merchants of Birmingham are
really coming together to make this fes-
tival complete," Surnow said."They are
engaging in the preparation by joining in
as sponsors, vendors and exhibitors, along
with providing giveaways for the races.
"I want to help make Birmingham a
safe and friendly venue for bicyclists,"
said Surnow, who moved the Surnow
Company to Birmingham last year after
modernizing the 1940 former U.S. post
office on Martin Street.
Children of all ages are invited to join
in the Kid's Corral that will display how
to safely ride a bicycle in the local neigh-
borhoods. Face painting, bike decorating
and a bike parade will be included in the
activities.
Royal Oak-based Beaumont Health
Systems will be hosting a safety clinic to
show riders how to properly wear a hel-
met and the importance of wearing one.
A professional mechanic will provide
mechanical inspections to make sure
each bike is in proper working condition.
"We're hoping to make the
Birmingham Bike Festival a longstand-
ing tradition in Birmingham and add
to the many wonderful events that
Birmingham provides',' Surnow said.
For more information: www.
BirminghamBikeFestivalcom. To be a
sponsor, vendor, volunteer or racer, visit
the website or contact Michelle Budaj at
MLBudaj@gmail.com or (248) 865-3000
ext. 109. 1