New Belgium’s Tour de Fat Raised more than $330,000 in 2010

New Belgium Brewing’s 2010 Tour de Fat Raised more than $330,000 for Non-Profit Organizations in 13 Cities

More than 70,000 people came to play at Tour de Fat, helping to continue bicycle advocacy and environmental stewardship

Fort Collins, CO – Tour de Fat, New Belgium Brewing’s traveling carnival of all things bicycle, is celebrating the end of 2010 by wrapping up its greatest fundraising season in history.  The philanthropic traveling bike festival raised $331,428 for non-profit friends, which is up nearly 20 percent from 2009.  2010 also saw record-shattering attendance with 70,250 cycling celebrants in 13 cities.  Tour de Fat kicked off in Chicago on June 26 and wrapped up in Austin on October 30.

Tour de Fat is free to attend, but money raised from the sale of New Belgium beers and merchandise helps local organizations continue their good work of bicycle advocacy and environmental stewardship.  In 2008, Tour de Fat broke the $1 million mark and the grand total now stands at more than $1.5 million.  To see videos from some of the 2010 tour stops visit www.tour-de-fat.com.

In addition to raising money at every stop, Tour de Fat also swapped 13 cars for bikes.  This year marked the fourth year that Tour de Fat hosted the car-for-bike swap, where someone in each city trades in his or her vehicle for a hand-built commuter bike.  The volunteer then commits to living car-free for the next year.

For example, in Chicago, New Belgium selected “Iggi” Ignaczak to become the first car swapper of the season.  Iggi is an avid cyclist who is not afraid to ride his bike in the 16-below temperatures of a Chicago winter.  His work commute now consists of six miles of bike riding each day, plus a 35-minute train ride, instead of the 18-mile, one-hour and 20-minute drive he had before.  Iggi even built a bike trailer for his dog Winston, so he can go along on some of his journeys.

“People always ask me what I’m doing out on a bike in 10 degree weather,” said Iggi.  “I tell them the story of Tour de Fat and how I traded in a car for the bike. Almost always, if not met with a response of ‘oh, you’re crazy’, people are impressed.”

“I can almost see the gears in their heads grinding, and considering if that is something they can do themselves,” he added. “I always say that if I can do it, so can they.”

In addition to getting thirteen cars off the road, Tour de Fat aims to minimize its impact by composting and recycling waste. The waste diversion rate for this season was 91 percent.  Other Tour de Fat sustainable initiatives included traveling with a solar-powered stage, using biofuel sourced from recycled waste oils for trucks and transport, and having all vendors operate off the grid.

“We join our nonprofit partners in thanking all attendees,” said Bryan Simpson, New Belgium Brewing Spokes Model.  “We’d like to high five each person who supported our efforts, but since that’s a little tricky, we’d like to thank everyone for their tremendous support.”

For more information on Tour de Fat visit www.tour-de-fat.com and for more details on New Belgium Brewing go to www.newbelgium.com.

Tour de Fat Breakdown City-by-City

Grand Totals

• $331,428 Total Funds Raised
• 70,250 Attended

June 26, 2010 – Chicago, IL

• $14,000 Total Funds Raised
• Non-Profit Supported – West Town Bikes
• 4,000 Attended

July 3, 2010 – Milwaukee, WI

• $10,000 Total Funds Raised
• Non-Profit Supported – Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin
• 1,750 Attended

July 10, 2010 – Minneapolis, MN

• $11,351 Total Funds Raised
• Non-Profits Supported – Midtown Greenway Coalition, Minneapolis Off-Road Cycling Advocates and Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota
• 3,250 Attended

July 31, 2010 – Seattle, WA

• $11,500 Total Funds Raised
• Non-Profits Supported – Bicycle Alliance of Washington and Bike Works
• 4,000 Attended

August 14, 2010 – Portland, OR

• $7,595 Total Funds Raised
• Non-Profits Supported – Bicycle Transportation Alliance and Northwest Trail Alliance
• 1,750 Attended

August 21, 2010 – Boise, ID

• $21,641 Total Funds Raised
• Non-Profits Supported – Southwest Idaho Mountain Bike Association, Treasure Valley Cycling Association and Boise Bicycle Project
• 6,000 Attended

September 4, 2010 – Ft. Collins, CO

• $52,260 Total Funds Raised
• Non-Profits Supported – Overland Mountain Bike Club, Bike Fort Collins and The Bike Co-Op
• 15,000 Attended

September 11, 2010 – Denver, CO

• $33,000 Total Funds Raised
• Non-Profits Supported – Bike Denver and The Denver Cruisers
• 8,000 Attended

September 25, 2010 – San Francisco, CA

• $38,505 Total Funds Raised
• Non-Profits Supported – San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and Bay Area Ridge Trail Council
• 7,000 Attended

October 2, 2010 San Diego, CA

• $9,965 Total Funds Raised
• Non-Profits Supported – San Diego County Bicycle Coalition and San Diego Mountain Bike Association
• 2,500 Attended

October 9, 2010 – Tempe, AZ

• $59,375 Total Funds Raised
• Non-Profits Supported – Tempe Bicycle Action Group, Bike Saviours and Mountain Bike Association of Arizona
• 13,000 Attended

October 23, 2010 – Los Angeles, CA

• $6,555 Total Funds Raised
• Non-Profits Supported – Cyclists Inciting Change thru Live Exchange (C.I.R.C.L.E.), Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition and Bicycle Kitchen/La Bicicocina
• 2,000 Attended

October 30, 2010 – Austin, TX

• $3,970 Total Funds Raised
• Non-Profits Supported – Yellow Bike Project, Austin Cycling Association and Austin Ridge Riders Mountain Bike Club
• 2,000 Attended

About New Belgium Brewing Company
New Belgium Brewing Company, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, began operations in a tiny Fort Collins basement in 1991. Today, the third largest craft brewer in the U.S., New Belgium produces seven year-round beers; Fat Tire Amber Ale, Sunshine Wheat, Blue Paddle Pilsner, 1554 Black Ale, Abbey, Mothership Wit and Trippel, as well as a host of seasonal releases.  In addition to producing world-class beers, New Belgium takes pride in being a responsible corporate role model with progressive programs such as employee ownership, open book management and a commitment to environmental stewardship.  For more information, visit www.newbelgium.com.