Grabbing grub for a good cause is once again the theme for the ninth-annual Sequim Cranksgiving event, with this year’s fundraiser-on-wheels event set for Saturday, Nov. 23.

The community is invited to bring their bikes and generous spirit to gather food items from local stores, helping fuel the Sequim Food Bank’s efforts to feed the area’s hungry.

Riders of all ages, both individuals and teams, gather at 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 23 starting at the Sequim Food Bank, 144 W. Alder St., and at 9 a.m. ride to local shops in a 4-and-a-half-mile stretch between QFC (990 E. Washington St.) and Walmart (1284 W. Washington St.), picking up foodstuffs along the way.

Cranksgiving organizers offer prizes for riders in a number of categories — most food gathered by weight, top team, fastest finisher, etc. — and celebrate their efforts with awards, raffle and good cheer at an after-party at Rainshadow Coffee.

“Last year was a really good one for us,” organizer Tom Coonelly said. “We raised about 2,800 pounds of food for our food bank. This year I hope to beat that record.”

About Cranksgiving

Starting as one of several annual bike messenger “alley cat” races in New York City, Cranksgiving is held the Saturday before Thanksgiving as a way for cyclists to socialize, compete and enjoy themselves while gathering food for local soup kitchens or food banks in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Instead of a straight race between a start and a finish or between multiple check points going from one check point to another, Cranksgiving involves required stops with several choices and routing options. The original idea behind the race structure is to mimic the average workday of a courier and winds up a kind of scavenger hunt on wheels.

Since its beginnings in 1999 it has been adopted by organizers in numerous cities in one form or another where all types of cyclists participate, having fun while benefiting a local charity. To date over 150 cities nationwide have announced their participation.

In 2010, a small group of cyclists organized Sequim’s first Cranksgiving; about 30 or so riders and families competed in the first local event and in keeping with tradition winners in various categories were each awarded a traditional trophy can.

Last year, Sequim’s group of riders and support crew gathered a ton and a half of food for the Sequim Food Bank. One single rider, Ken Stringer, gathered more than 600 pounds of food.

For more information, contact Coonelly at 360-681-7053 or coonelly@olypen.com.