Kimberly-Clark Celebrates Two BFB Awards on Get Up & Ride Day

While the National Bike Challenge is now a daily joy for nearly 30,000 bicyclists nationwide, the idea came from an employee and bike commuter at the Kimberly-Clark Corporation: Rob Gusky. But the enthusiasm for active transportation doesn’t end with the company’s official Bicycling Ambassador — Kimberly-Clark is committed to biking as a means to improve the health and productivity of its employees and the sustainability of its business.

Last week, League COO Jakob Wolf-Barnett and League Board Chair Gail Spann traveled to Wisconsin to join more than 200 K-C employees for their annual Get Up & Ride Day. Encouraging that many folks to saddle up is certainly impressive, but that wasn’t the only cause for celebration. Wolf-Barnett and Spann also presented K-C CEO Tom Falk with two Bicycle Friendly Business designations: a bronze for the company’s Conway, Ark., location and a gold for its Neenah, Wis., office. Also on hand were League members and supporters, like the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin and staff from Wheel and Sprocket bike shops.

From left: League COO Jakob Wolf-Barnett presents two Bicycle Friendly Business awards to Kimberly-Clark CEO Tom Falk, with League Board Chair Gail Spann

“Jakob and I met some of the local ‘movers and shakers’ and enjoyed some great conversations about the National Bike Challenge, the League, the Scott product line and, of course, Kimberly-Clark,” Spann said. “Rob Gusky, a long time National Bike Summit attendee was our host for the visit, and we met many of the people who came in to ride that day, most who were working at K-C. After a short warm up, we were ready to present our Gold and Bronze BFB awards to CEO Tom Falk.”

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“After some handshaking and photo opps, we hopped on our bicycles and headed out to lead the group with Rob and a few others,” she continued. “I must say, it wasn’t quite so cold after all, and the only hills were a couple of bridges. The views were wonderful, the trees in bloom and grass as green as any I have ever seen. After the ride we had a chance to visit with many of the riders and I even joined the Bike Federation of Wisconsin to offer my support. It was a whirlwind trip full of great introductions, a wonderful bike ride, and seeing some old friends, too. Presenting the awards was such fun, I might just have to go back up and ride with everyone again!”

See more photos from the event in the slideshow above or on our Flickr page. And don’t forget to sign up for the National Bike Challenge to join the fun!