Join us for our 1st annual Bike Out Negativity event on Saturday, May 22! The six-mile “fun ride” through North Lawndale and Little Village will be accompanied by pre- and post-ride refreshments, giveaways, and performances.

[Note: The Eventbrite registration is to participate in the ride - scroll to the link below if you're here to volunteer!]

The day will kick off with a community expo and celebration from 10am to 1pm in the boulevard across from St. Agatha Catholic Church, 3147 W Douglas Blvd, Chicago. Highlights include:

• Music and snacks
• A drum line by the youth from Celestial Ministries
• Kickboxing led by the Lawndale Christian Fitness Center
• Remarks by Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle
• While Supplies Last:
• Free kids’ haircuts by Pro Image Cutz
• Free kids’ athletic care bags, including a youth-sized basketball, from Four Point Play
• 200 free kids’ bags with crayons, playing cards, etc.
• Free kids’ books from Open Books, through the North Lawndale Reads initiative
• Free soccer balls compliments of America Scores – Chicago

At 1 pm, participants will begin the six-mile route through North Lawndale and Little Village.

The ride finishes at Stone Temple Baptist Church, 3622 W. Douglas Blvd where riders will be treated to refreshments, music, activities, and a call to action. Post-ride festivities will extend from the Love Blooms Here Plaza outside of Stone Temple to the nearby "Moving Freely" exhibit by the Lawndale Pop-Up Spot. The post-ride celebration will feature:

• A small-top circus tent with kids' activities led by CircEsteem
• Screenprinting by the William Estrada Art Cart
• An on-site mobile vaccination clinic with both the Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer vaccinations, led by the Chicago Department of Public Health

Feel the love like you've never experienced - join us as we kick off summer with this celebration of Chicago’s youth!

Registration is free and open to all; donations are welcomed to support the anti-violence work of Boxing Out Negativity.

Reserve your event t-shirt now! $12 online, $15 on-site.

For media inquiries, please reach out to info@boxingoutnegativity.org

Much gratitude to our planning partners at Equiticity, Ride Illinois, Working Bikes, and the Lawndale Christian Fitness Center, and for the support of St. Agatha Church and the incredible sponsorship of Divvy/Lyft and Saint Anthony Hospital, and to the Chicago Fund for Safe and Peaceful Communities for a supporting grant!!

- To express interest in being an organizational partner (tabling, sponsorship, etc.): Partners Form

- To volunteer: Volunteer Sign-Up

- To serve on squad (ride support): Squad Sign-Up

Covid-19 information: For the safety and comfort of all attendees, we ask everyone to wear masks and respect the space of others. While we believe that bicycling is one of the activities most conducive to maintaining social distance and will do our best to allow spacing on the ride, other safety considerations may result in cyclists "massing up"; if this is a concern, we ask that you consider placing yourself near the rear of the ride where it will likely be easier to control the distance between yourself and others. And, if you are experiencing any symptoms of covid, please stay home - we still love you and look forward to seeing you in 2022!