Montgomery city councilman riding bike 750 miles to New York

Would you make a 750-mile bike trip to a small village in the State of New York? Not many would. One person who would is Montgomery City Council Member Mike Cappel. What started out as an adventure has become so much more. “I thought I would just ride up to the Village of Montgomery, New York, and enjoy the scenery, the town, and their annual General Montgomery Day festival and parade. After I told a couple of people about my plans, many asked about making a donation to charity or some other way to support my effort,” explained Cappel. With this intent in mind, Cappel started to think more deeply about his plans and decided that this trip could be so much more than a 10-day bike ride. Cappel and the other members of the Montgomery City Council are deeply committed to three valued City programs: the WeThrive Initiative, the Environmental Advisory Commission, and the Sister Cities Commission. He decided to commit this ride to drawing more attention to these three programs. The WeThrive Initiative is a countywide program to make healthy living easier. Montgomery is committed to supporting the initiative and focusing on preventing chronic diseases and emergency preparedness. Cappel intends to show that if it is possible for him to ride 750 miles to Montgomery, New York, it is possible for residents to ride locally to stores, parks and churches. This activity also encourages others to practice healthy habits, such as exercise. Another key program in Montgomery is the Montgomery Environmental Advisory Commission. This commission works to develop practical ways in which residents, the City and its commissions can responsibly use resources in an environmentally-conscious way. Cappel supports the feasibility of biking to reduce carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuels. Finally, Cappel and his wife, Anne, have been major supporters of the Sister Cities Commission and its programs, including Bastille Day and exchanges with the City’s French Sister City, Neuilly-Plaisance, as well as furthering the rapport with domestic Sister City, Montgomery, New York. Six families traveled from Montgomery, New York and founded Montgomery, Ohio in 1795. Cappel’s trip to Montgomery, New York, will draw attention to the two cities shared history and friendship and show what those first settlers experienced when traveling to southwest Ohio. Cappel leaves on Wednesday, Aug. 30, departing from Montgomery, Ohio, and expects to arrive in Montgomery, New York, on Thursday, Sept. 7. Follow his trip to the City of Montgomery’s Sister City, the Village of Montgomery, New York, on the City’s Facebook Page, facebook.com/CityofMontgomeryOhio/ and website, montgomeryohio.org.