Marline Stephenson-Dalley (left), event coordinator, admires a beautifully decorated bicycle made out of egg shells, shortly after the launch of the Montego Bay Rotary East Bikeathon/Jamaica Challenge 2007 in Montego Bay, on Wednesday. Winston McKane (right), president and chairman of the Bikeathon 2007 Committee; Dr. Rao Ponnada (second left) Rotary Club president-elect, and his daughter Sriharshita, who will be participating in the children's category, look on. One of two handcrafted bicycles donated by Bohios in Montego Bay, this bicycle will be presented to the 2007 Bikeathon Champion. - Claudine Housen/Staff Photographer

Claudine Housen, Staff Reporter

WESTERN BUREAU:

Principal lecturer for Sam Sharpe Teachers' College, Asburn Pinnock, is calling on Montego Bay Rotary East to lead the charge and lobby Government to include the construction of bike paths in western Jamaica as part of its major road improvement project.

"This is a very good opportunity, as we are building highways across the north coast and the proposed Highway 2000, to lobby for maybe an eight feet strip along much of the highway to facilitate people riding to and from work," he said.

Mr. Pinnock, the guest speaker at the launch of the 12th annual Montego Bay Rotary East Bikeathon Jamaica Challenge, under the theme 'Cycling for Education, Cycling for a Cause', commended the organisation for its service to the community and urged its stakeholders to expand their cause to include the promotion of health and wellness across the island.

Healthy environment

"This event, to me, is a tripod, which represents three cushion areas in society. (Firstly), the promotion of healthy lifestyle - wellness of the mind, and secondly, the promotion of a healthy environment through more pedal cycles instead of high maintenance drinkers," he said.

"I hope this club will take it further and call for more pedal cycles to be used in our everyday lives and reduce the emission of harmful chemicals in the environment (as well as) congestion on the road."

He added: "I am also imaging a workplace where you have a fully equipped bathroom where persons can ride to work in their shorts and then have a shower before proceeding into the office. (Also) a school or workplace with bicycle stands instead of car parks."

Scheduled for Sunday, April 22, the Montego Bay Rotary East Bikeathon 2007 has returned to its one-day format consisting of: a professional/amateur (pro/am) races in categories 1-4, a children's category,a recreational category and the newest addition to the fare, a celebrity category, in which each rider is sponsored.

For further information or to register online please visit www.rotaryclubofmontegobayeast.org.