Chicago, IL

Cranksgiving is a national event that occurs in over 100 cities across the United States and Canada to help donate food to families that can't afford to have a Thanksgiving. Donations will support Marillac St. Vincent Family Services. Pedal the streets and trails of your city as you search for specific items that are most needed at The Marillac House’s west side food pantry. Visit www.cranksgiving.org for more locations. (This is the second  event for Chicago this year!)

Chicago’s 2023 Westside edition will feature different categories to satisfy all flavors of folks who want to ride a bike and/or do good in our city. Day of and advance monetary donations are also accepted (see below). Aside from the fact that every participant in this event is a winner, there will be prizes and recognition to a variety of people for their prowess beyond simply the fastest, but those fast folks do get their moment too.

The first category, TIME, requires riders to stop at a minimum number of specific grocery stores and collect a minimum number of food/household items in the fastest time possible. They will choose their own route to each grocery store location, and hold on to their receipts as proof.

The second category, POINTS, awards riders different points for different items purchased. Points are available at all grocery stores, but some locations will be higher points than others. Again, riders choose their own route and keep the receipts, however, instead of minimum items bought and stores traveled to, there is a time cutoff after which, there will be no new points awarded.

The third category, LAPS, has riders going to a nearby store and back. They will go fast, turn left, and only buy one type of an item at a time (multiples okay), then bring it (them) back to the start, and grab a different item(s) on the following lap. Same start and cutoff time as the points category.

The fourth category, MOB, will be somewhere between a short group ride and a family holiday parade on bikes, or critical mass going to the market. Everyone rides together at a party pace along a designated route, stopping to use all of the monetary donations received to buy more food, ultimately finishing at the Marillac House to donate everything directly.

Multiple category racing is allowed.

The MOB will start after the cutoff time for the other categories to allow every worn-out racer, volunteer, small child, or elderly passerby to join in the fun before and after that cutoff.

~ON RACE DAY~

SEE YOU IN 2024

Registration/check in opens at 10:30 am at Let's Roast cycles