Bikes-4-Kids-Utah big success.

In late September, an event took place in Murray, Utah, that was a golden opportunity for community involvement for Murray City Power. The Bikes-4-Kids-Utah event focused on the distribution of 1,000 free bikes to low-income children from throughout the Salt Lake Valley. The event took place at the Intermountain Medical Center, which is under construction in the center of Murray.

Murray City Power (MCP) got involved early in the planning and became a supporting sponsor, along with many other organizations, of the event. MCP provided all of the following:

* The power for the stage and live music.

* The bucket trucks to hang the Start/Finish sign and to lift the celebrity ride starter over the roadway.

* An information booth with their PowerCycle demonstration of muscle power for equivalent electricity.

* Free bottled water for the day's events.

* Custom-made water bottles for all of the kids and the participants in the several coincident cycling events.

"The event was a great success, with an incredible, beautiful sunny day between autumn storms," said MCP General Manager Gary O. Merrill. "All of the TV stations gave news coverage and it was highlighted as the feel-good story of the day." Along with Merrill, others that attended the event included the governor and first lady, Murray's mayor and City Council members, various political candidates, and mascots from all of the state's professional sports teams.

According to Merrill, MCP is already at the top of the list for cosponsoring next year's event.