Mayor Bob Foster and Pro Cyclist, Tony Cruz, Host Tour of Long Beach Kick Off Event at Miller Children's Hospital Long Beach

In anticipation of the Tour of Long Beach on May 8, professional cyclist Tony Cruz and Mayor Bob Foster hosted a kick-off event outside the Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach Pavilion March 24 to encourage community members to ride their bicycles.

Part of the Long Beach Bike Festival, the Tour of Long Beach is a 31-mile bike cruise or four-mile family ride that will take riders through neighborhoods, along the coastline and near popular tourist attractions.

The riders will experience the best sights that Long Beach has to offer. All of the proceeds of this event will benefit Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach. Mayor Foster encouraged the crowd to join him in riding the Tour of Long Beach. The mayor says that it is going to be a “great event to get exercise and raise money for a good cause.” Mayor Foster suggests that everyone in Long Beach should “sign-up, volunteer or help any way that you can.”

Tony challenged six patients of Miller Children’s to a tricycle race in front of the new pavilion. They laughed and enjoyed racing with the 2000 U.S. Olympian. After the event ended, Mayor Foster and Tony visited with several patients and their families. The kick-off event also included representatives from JAX Bicycle Center performing bike safety checks.
The Long Beach Bike Festival takes place May 7-9. In addition to the Tour of Long Beach, there will be races, bands, safety demonstrations, a film festival and a variety of other activities. The Miller Children’s Safety Coalition will be on-hand to encourage kids to wear bicycle helmets.