Dec 12th, 2017
The proceeds from the 16th Annual Bagels and Bluegrass Bicycle Century Tour were presented in a special ceremony at Jackson State Community College on Monday, December 11.
A check for $2,500 was presented to Dr. Allana Hamilton, JSCC President, by Mary Beth Hopper, executive director for the Southwest Tennessee Tourism Association and an organizer for the event. This money will be used to fund scholarships for non-traditional students. Since its inception, the Tour has raised $36,950 for JSCC scholarships.
Hopper stated that the decision had been made to rename the Bagels and Bluegrass scholarship as the Dr. Kent Jones Scholarship in honor of the founder of the century tour. Dr. Jones, an avid cyclist, founded this event based on his enthusiasm for the sport and his love of nature. He saw this as a way to support the state park system and to also create scholarships for individuals who have a real need.
"Events like Bagels and Bluegrass are so important in ensuring that students will be able to get the help they need to attend Jackson State and we are so grateful for that," said Dr. Allana Hamilton.
Checks in the amount of $500 each also went to Pinson Mounds State Park and Friends of Chickasaw State Park. Bagels and Bluegrass event organizers say the parks are an important part of the ride.
"We are so appreciative of all the support received from the sponsors of this event," said Randy McKinnon, TLM president and an organizer for the event. "We couldn't have done this without the support of our contributors, sponsors and partners."
Bagels and Bluegrass is a one-day cycling event with routes in varying lengths from 14 to 104 miles. The ride features Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Area and Chickasaw State Park and miles of scenic roads. The 100-mile route has a total climb of greater than 7,000 feet.
Next year's event is tentatively scheduled for October 13, 2018 at Jackson State Community College.
For more information on the Bagels and Bluegrass Bicycle Century Tour, go to the website at www.bagelsandbluegrass.tn.org.