Press Release - Bike Baton Rouge recognizes bicycling advocates at Mike Bitton Awards ceremony
Left to Right - Gilles Morin, Beaux Jones, Juan Cruz and Dave Cano
(Photograph by Irene Kato)
Bike Baton Rouge recognizes bicycling advocates at Mike Bitton Awards ceremony
4/29/16, Baton Rouge, LA
Bike Baton Rouge and around thirty local bicycling advocates celebrated the recipients of the Mike Bitton Awards on Wednesday evening at the Firehouse Gallery at the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge. The annual awards recognize community members who have gone above and beyond in their efforts to make Baton Rouge a better place to bike, and are named after former LSU student Mike Bitton, who became a spokesperson and advocate for bicycle safety and awareness following a hit and run crash on River Road that left Mike with life threatening injuries.
Beaux Jones, former president of Bike Baton Rouge and winner of the Mike Bitton Award, said “It is a great honor to be recognized by an organization that I love and respect so much. There is still so much to be done, but I hope that I helped to move our community closer to a safer, happier and healthier Baton Rouge‘’. Jones was awarded the Mike Bitton Award for his services to Bike Baton Rouge as well as bicycling and walking in both Baton Rouge and Louisiana.
Other recipients included David Cano of Iron Works Design LLC, who was awarded the Bike Friendly Business Award for his work with manufacturing and installing Bike Racks in Baton Rouge; Gilles Morin, of the City of Baton Rouge Planning Commission who received the Bike Friendly Ambassador Award for his long term support of bicycling projects in Baton Rouge; and Juan Cruz, of Cultural Dynamics, who received the Bike Friendly Professional Award for his work in supporting bicycling and walking projects amongst minorities and underrepresented communities, particularly with the Gardere Project.
Mark Martin, founder and outgoing president of Bike Baton Rouge, was cautious when asked about what he’ll do with his time, saying “I want to take it easy for a while and see how long it takes me to become antsy again.” When asked about his successes, Martin said ”I am happy to see more people riding now than there were 10 years ago. I can't say that anything I did had a direct affect on that but it's good to see.”
Martin’s successor, Mika Torkkola, will immediately take the helm of Bike Baton Rouge.
Bike Baton Rouge’s focus for May will be be Bike to School Day, on May 4th, Bike to Work Week on May 16th through May 20th, and Bike to Work Day on the May 20th. Bike Baton Rouge will have volunteers offering advice and support to anyone who is new to commuting by bicycle. For more information, please email bikebatonrouge@gmail.com
Mika Torkkola
225 571 2906
bikebatonrouge@gmail.com
Bike Baton Rouge is a local non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization and has been dedicated to making bicycling trips in Baton Rouge safer and more enjoyable since 2006.
Bike Baton Rouge members including Leif Remo in foreground
(Photograph by Irene Kato)
Outgoing Bike Baton Rouge Mark Martin (left) and Beaux Jones
(Photograph by Irene Kato)