WHO: More than 1,000 cyclists have registered for the Galveston Bay Foundation’s 13th Annual Bike Around the Bay, the Foundation’s largest fundraising event, generously sponsored by Shell Oil Company.
WHAT: The fully-supported, two-day, 170-mile bicycle ride showcase the beauty of the Bay on October 12- 13, 2019 while raising funds to directly support the Foundation’s efforts to protect and enhance the natural areas cyclists experience during their scenic adventure. The Foundation expects to raise approx. $635,000 to support its mission and programs, allowing it to continue to serve as the leading voice for the Bay, working to ensure it remains a healthy and productive place for generations to come.
WHEN/WHERE: October 12 – 13, 2019
Day One: Start Time: 7:30 a.m., with route closing at 6 p.m.
Start at Plantgistix within the Ameriport Industrial Park in Baytown and finish at the Moody Gardens.
5623 AmeriPort Parkway, Baytown, TX 77523
Day Two: Start time: 7:30 a.m., with route closing at 6 p.m.
Race starts at the Moody Gardens, 1 Hope Boulevard Galveston, TX 77554 and ends at Plantgistix.
The ride provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity to circumnavigate Galveston Bay. Riders can enjoy the scenery as they ride through a variety of bayfront views landscapes, and cities. See route map below. Highlights include:
∙ Ride around Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge and along the Gulf of Mexico
∙ Cross the Intracoastal Waterway at High Island – the highest point on the Gulf Coast between the Yucatan Peninsula and Alabama
∙ See dolphins while crossing from the Bolivar Peninsula to Galveston Island on a ferry
∙ Enjoy dinner and entertainment at the Moody Gardens Hotel
∙ Cycle across the Galveston Causeway and the Texas City Levee
∙ Conquer the Fred Hartman Bridge on the way to the finish line
The route is fully supported with SAG wagons and frequent breakpoints along the route that provide drinks, snacks, bike mechanics and first aid.
WHY: Galveston Bay is our region’s largest natural resource. Half the population of Texas – approximately 12 million people – live within its watershed, which extends along the Trinity River to north of Dallas-Fort Worth. Everyone’s health in our region depends on the Bay’s health.
The Bay produces more seafood than any bay in the nation except Chesapeake Bay, and 95% of the commercially fished species in the Gulf of Mexico depend on its estuaries during their life cycle.
Rapid population growth and development have created major challenges for the Bay, including loss and degradation of coastal habitats, declines in shellfish and wildlife populations, inadequate freshwater flows, and bacteria and toxins in water, sediments and seafood.
The funds raised significantly contribute to the diverse programs in land preservation, habitat restoration, water quality and quantity, youth education, and advocacy the Foundation implements.
