Rain didn’t stop the finale of the 30 Days of Biking Scavenger Hunt: the annual “Weed it and Sweep” neighborhood cleanup.
Volunteers (virtually all of whom are avid cyclists) met at the rear of the Recovery Bike Shop at 2504 Central Ave. to get grabbers, bags and brooms on Saturday, May 4. They headed in all directions to tidy up nearby sidewalks and alleys. The bags of refuse they filled went into the back of a truck supplied by the donation of Two Men and a Junk Truck service.
Booths were set up in the bike shop’s garage by the Minneapolis Transportation Management Organization and the event’s sponsor, Minneapolis Regional Chamber. DJ Janis was there for music and nearby Francis Burger Joint and Holy Land supplied free food.
More volunteers showed up as the day progressed. Kids and adults competed by racing in a roped-off circuit provided by Dutch Bar on kid-size bikes and tricycles. Starting at 2:30 p.m., there were speeches, giveaways and drawings for gift cards, new bicycle seats and other prizes.
Recovery Bike Shop owner Seth Stattmiller said 50 people had made at least one stop at the 30 (one for every day) participating Scavenger Hunt locations. About half had checked in at all of them, and they received a “Northeast Super Fan” swag bag, that included gift certificates from local businesses and a cutting from Recovery’s green roof, with instructions on how to care for it. Everyone who completed five stops received a Recovery Bike Shop patch.
The event concluded with a group bike ride, with 20 cyclists riding from the shop to Great River Road, and making a pit stop at Mac’s Industrial Sports Bar, 310 E. Hennepin for more free food.
This was the fifth year of Recovery’s 30 Days of Biking Scavenger Hunt. Stattmiller said that in early 2020, as the COVID pandemic kept people at home, he thought it might be good for local morale (as well as good for business) to try to get people out and about, preferably on two wheels. During his speech that afternoon, he said, “I love seeing this level of love and activity here in Northeast Minneapolis!”
Nic Hamlin pedals a glorious pink trike to the finish line during a heat in the tricycle races held in the afternoon. Height was not an advantage in these races, with riders often needing a little push to get the pedals moving. (Vince Brown)
Volunteers Benito Cecenas and Samantha Sayer, helping with Weed It and Sweep. (Mark Peterson)
