BEND, OREGON – The second annual CXmas Party, hosted by former national champion Bart Bowen, raised more than $2,500 for the CXmas Junior Fund which was created by Bowen in 2011 to help junior cyclists attend national championship events.
Professional cyclist Adam Craig led an entertaining Q&A with fellow pros Ryan Trebon, Barry Wicks, Chris Jones and Geoff Kabush. Tour de France rider Chris Horner made a special appearance and took questions from the audience. Horner, who represented the United States in the 2012 Olympics and won the 2011 Tour of California, also donated a signed Team RadioShack jersey to the CXmas silent auction.
An incredible array of donated items valued at more than $3,500 were auctioned and raffled at the CXmas Party. All proceeds from the event benefited the CXmas Junior Fund which awards travel stipends to Oregon Juniors who are traveling to Madison, Wisconsin, to compete in the U.S. National Cyclocross Championships January 9-13, 2013.
“It takes an entire cycling community to help juniors take the step from racing locally and regionally to competing on the national level,” says Bowen, who is an elite cycling coach and owns Powered by Bowen Sports Performance in Bend. “We are incredibly grateful to the cycling community for supporting this event and this cause. I can tell you firsthand that these experiences provide kids with invaluable perspectives for them as athletes and as people. It helps broaden their scope of possibilities.”
In addition to the silent auction and Q&A, the CXmas Party hosted a photography exhibit titled “The Art of Cyclocross” featuring the work of Brian Nelson, Matthew Lasala, Mark Reinecke, Whit Bazemore, Ken Simms, Rob Kerr and Wil Matthews.
