One of the forces that is helping to keep local racing alive: In a very meaningful way. Recently the Natural Grocers Team became a sponsor of the Kansas Track Championship. We asked spokesperson Dan Messina to give us some background on their community involvement:
“The Natural Grocers Cycling Team (est 1987) has a long history of supporting amateur racing. Based in Denver, Colorado, the team has primarily supported homegrown races like The Bailey Hundo, The Rattler Series and Mad Gravel, to name a few. In 2018, the team began supporting Kansas cycling events starting with the Perry Road Race providing a small grant and a wheel vehicle. Over the past few years, support provided by the Natural Grocers Cycling Team and their title sponsor, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, has grown to touch many of the long running races in the area with a particular focus on increasing women’s representation. Additional merchandise contributions have been provided by local Natural Grocers stores and other team sponsors like, Now Foods, Floyd’s of Leadville and Kurt’s Bars. For the 2022 season, the Natural Grocers Cycling Team has committed over $2,000 to local races. The team only sees this increasing over the next several years to keep local racing alive according to vice-president Dan Messina, “Race promoters shouldn’t have to lose money to put on a race…we hope our small contributions may provide a cost neutral event and keep the race going. Local racing everywhere was declining even before the pandemic but we’re dreamers – hopefully we can inspire a few more dreamers, too and bring back our area’s past racing glory days.” About the team: The Natural Grocers Cycling Team maintains a 100+ member roster in five main areas: Denver, Durango, Grand Junction, Tucson and Kansas City. Learn more at www.naturalgrocerscyclingteam.com About Natural Grocers: Established in 1955 with $200 and a dream, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage now operates 162 stores in 20 states. Www.naturalgrocers.com