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Contact: Nicole Glander
Phone: 860-727-0050
Email:
nicoleglander@msn.com
Event Website: http://hartfordbiketour.org/
The City of Hartford
Presents
Three Inspiring Events
In One Exciting Day!
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Over 1,000 people
expected to bike and walk around Hartford’s main attractions and best kept
secrets
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Gospel music to fill the
air at Bushnell Park
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Hartford celebrates
grandparents
The Central Connecticut Bicycle Alliance, with the assistance of the City of
Hartford, is preparing their second annual bicycling and walking tour of
Hartford on September 13, 2008. Last year’s event drew 1,300 cyclists and
walkers into Bushnell Park for a great day! This year’s event is being
advertised as the centerpiece of one of the “Discover Hartford” Rising Star
weekends.
The
purpose of this event is to demonstrate that recent improvements in
infrastructure, community organizations, and commercial and residential
investment have brought Hartford to a better quality of life. The Tour has
the backing of the Metro Hartford Alliance and Convention and Visitor’s
Bureau, along with other community organizations. This event is diverse:
multi-racial and ethnic, multi generational, multi-skill level,
multi-geographical, and multi-economic level.
The tour will have 10 and 25-mile bicycling options, as well as a 1 1/2-hour
(1 mile) walking tour. The route will introduce participants to places like
Cedar Hill Cemetery, major new commercial developments, arts venues, and
historic places. Last year’s route is reversed, to give folks a chance to
see the city from a different perspective and to allow last year’s 10-milers
to see parts of the city they didn’t see last year.
CCBA believes by encouraging and developing alternative transportation modes
the city will become a more attractive place to live or visit. This event is
a regional advocacy event (not a fundraiser), and involves dozens of
community groups that want to make a positive statement about Hartford. It
unites many of Hartford’s diverse cultural communities, be they arts,
health, museum, neighborhood-oriented, commercial, or recreational. A
vibrant city is more likely when there is a vibrant pedestrian and bicycling
friendly community! CCBA affirms the importance of regional bike trails, and
recognizes that the failure to provide routes into and through our cities
stands as a roadblock to making important inroads into alternative
transportation methods, into cleaning the environment, and into promoting
healthy lifestyles – and in the end to creating a place where people want to
live and work. Call 860-727-0050 for more information about the tour or
visit
www.hartford.org
In addition
to the CCBA Discover Hartford tour,
The 13th
Annual LEVAS Gospel Festival and Fair will also take place at Bushnell
Park’s Thomas D. Harris Pavilion on September 13, 2008, from 11:00 a.m.
until 9:00 p.m.
Featuring:
Gospel Saxophonist Dr. Vernard Johnson, Agape Band, Crystal Lake Praise Team
Band, Grace and Truth Delegation, Hoods Angels Music Ministry, Rapper Nyles
“Witness” Houston, Marcus Jarvis, Sanctuary of Faith and Glory Voices of
Glory, Mearise Parker, SoideYaveh Rodriques, Antny Tran, Gloria Brown,
Singer & Acoustic Blues & Gospel Guitarist Robin O’Herin, Red Letter Day,
Tapestry Worship Jazz Ensemble, New Hope Community Church Choir & Mimes,
Gospel Jazz Recording Artist Gwenath Douglas, Marcus Jarvis, West Avon
Congregational Choirs, James Chappell, III and The Lift Every Voice and Sing
Community Choir will be performing throughout the day.
In
addition, LEVAS is delighted to host voter registration / education, a
health fair, HIV/AIDS on site testing and counseling, prayer and counsel by
the CT House Of Prayer-Hartford, 3 on 3 basketball tournament, seniors and
children activities, life skills youth and Reverse Mortgage workshops, face
painting, Fire Safety, Food and Merchandise vendors, Remembering 911, and
much more.
Founded
over a decade ago, the mission of LEVAS is to promote the Spirit of
Community through the Arts. LEVAS believes that the reduction of
ignorance, bigotry, separation and the celebration of differences must be
supported through positive interaction and shared experience. This free
event is sponsored in part by: GHAC, The Evelyn Preston Memorial Foundation,
Robert & Margaret Patricelli Family Foundation, George A. & Grace I. Long
Foundation, United Technologies, CAC, Ensworth Foundation and Edward C. &
Ann T. Roberts Foundation. For more information, contact Carolyn
Brooks-Burton at (860) 243-8734.
Finally,
the 6th Annual Grandparents Day Family Fair will also be celebrated
Saturday, September 13th from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Bushnell Park, near
the Carousel.
The City of
Hartford celebrates this day in honor of the more than 2,000 grandparents
who are raising their grandchildren and more than 18,000 grandparents
raising kids in the state of Connecticut.
Families
will have an opportunity to bring a blanket and picnic lunch while enjoying
the event filled with games, arts, crafts and relays. Grandparents and
their families will also have the opportunity to learn more about the
special programming and services that are available to them in our
community.
For more
information about this event, please contact Elby Gonzalez-Schwapp at (860)
547-1426 ext. 7572.
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