Hideouswhitenoise, Issue 31, Spring 1997
by Sarah The Hood
When you're don't have a place to stay and you need lunch or access to a telephone; when you're a downtown teenager whose parents don't come home from work until two hours after you're out of school; when you live in a Harbourfront co-op and you need to find a daycare centre; when you're old and alone in the downtown core, where can you go?
St. Stephen's Community House in Kensington Market is a place that has been looking out for people in all these situations since the beginning of the century. They teach English as a Second Language; deliver AIDS education in Chinese and Portuguese; offer a Chinese seniors' social program and run a homeless men's drop-in (called "The Corner") - and that just scratches the surface of what they do for the downtown community.
On Saturday, May 24, couriers, cops and firefighters will be mounting their bikes at College Park in a spectacular showdown to raise money for all these programs in the 4th St. Stephen's Courier Classic. The first community event of the City of Toronto's Bike Week (the event formerly known as "Bike To Work Week"), the Courier Classic will run from mid-afternoon right through the evening. The early part of the day will feature kids' activities organized by police and firefighters. A Trials event, jazz band and beer tent will kick in as the evening wears on.
But the highlight of the day is the race itself, with teams of four riders competing in an urban relay challenge. As last year's spectators would agree, it's a tight, exciting course with features you won't find anywhere else - like the finish down the flight of concrete steps. The race takes in all of College Park (between Yonge and Bay, College and Gerrard), including sections of the underground parking garage. The centre of the action is the big yellow tent in the College Park courtyard, graciously offered once again by College Park Shops.
Last year the Metro Police Trail Hogs elite mountain bike club entered both male and female teams, while the yellow-jacketed, fully equipped police bike squad officers courageously ran the race on their patrol bikes, which weigh an estimated 44.5 pounds! The firefighters also looked dangerous, but the courier teams (top winners Team Cojiba, plus the Freewheelin' Fixed Gears, Team Whatever, The Unknown Team and Girls Kick Ass) were the victors.
This year, look for more teams, more challenges (a fire-ladder climb, anyone?), out-of-town racers, bigger prizes, a raffle for a Schwinn Classic Cruiser and other prizes, and about $8,000 to be raised for St. Stephen's. In order to register, teams must sell $100 worth of raffle tickets (that's $25 per person). All comers are welcome.
To find out more, register a team, donate a prize or get involved in other ways, call Derek at 539-7007 or Sarah at 368-5959. See you there!
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