L-40 lends land for youth race

Local 40 (Elizabethtown, Kentucky) found a unique way to support youth sports: They let Kentucky Interscholastic Mountain Bike Racing use their 15-acre property as a staging and warm-up area for a youth race.

“Our membership has always been open to sponsoring youth activities and events when we have funds available, but not many can volunteer when hands-on work is needed,” said L-40 BM-ST Mike Autry.

Offering land for the bike race was a perfect way for the local to support kids and give back to the community. The property is adjacent to the Buffalo Lake Recreation Area Mountain Bike Trail and within walking distance to hotels and restaurants, making it an ideal location for the race.

“This was good exposure for the Boilermakers to show we have interest in the community,” said Assistant Business Manager Alan Biddle. “And getting youth interested in mountain biking is a great introduction to an activity that’s a healthy lifestyle choice they can do throughout their lives.”

Biddle, who is himself a mountain biking enthusiast, volunteered at the weekend-long event overseeing the property. He and Autry prepped the land and lodge.

“It didn’t cost us a dime, other than a couple days of mowing grass, trimming landscaping, cleaning and volunteering our facilities,” Autry said. “And it was positive and free advertising for the Boilermakers. For once, our location paid off.”

Biddle said the feedback the Boilermakers received was positive and that race organizers are considering hosting the state championships on the property as well. He looks forward to that.

“Part of the racecourse, including the start and end gates, were on our property, and it was really neat to have that all right here.”