From left, Memorial Medical Center Foundation President Jim Normandin, Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster and Long Beach City Manager Pat West pedal their way along the Long Beach shoreline as Foster bikes to work Monday, May 9, to raise awareness of the city’s upcoming Tour of Long Beach. Photo by Stacey Toda.
10:45am | In an effort to tout the upcoming Tour of Long Beach, Mayor Bob Foster pedaled his way to work Monday morning alongside Long Beach Bicycle Ambassador Tony Cruz, City Manager Pat West and the president of the Memorial Medical Center Foundation.
“We’re celebrating May as ‘National Bike Month’ and our upcoming Tour of Long Beach by biking to work today,” Foster said. “The tour is going to be a great event that takes riders through our best bike routes along the beach, parks and the two rivers.
“I encourage people to join me on the May 14 ride that is not only fun, but it’s for a good cause,” Foster continued.
Proceeds from the Tour of Long Beach will benefit Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach. Amateur cyclists and bicycle enthusiasts of all skill levels are invited to ride on a 31-mile open course along bike paths throughout the city. Registration is still open; to register, or for more information on the Tour of Long Beach, visit TourofLongBeach.com.
Foster credits last year’s tour with sparking his enthusiasm for cycling.
“I bought my bike for the first Tour of Long Beach and since then, I’ve made it a point to ride at least 100 miles every week,” he said.
This year, Foster will be riding the Tour of Long Beach course twice as part of the Metric Century Ride. The mayor also has a team for any riders to join called the “Mayor’s Mighty Milers.”