Provo, Salt Lake mayors will bike for food

PROVO — The friendly bet — they prefer to call it a fitness challenge — between the mayors of Provo and Salt Lake City over last month's BYU-Utah football game will conclude with a bicycle Rivalry Ride to collect food for Wasatch Front food pantries.

The U. beat BYU 48-24, so losing Mayor Lewis Billings of Provo will bike approximately 50 miles to the Salt Lake City-County Building on Saturday, to deliver a donation for the Utah Food Bank.

Salt Lake Mayor Ralph Becker will join Billings for the ride.

The Rivalry Ride will begin at 11 a.m. on the north steps of the Provo City Center, 351 W. Center, and will end at approximately 4 p.m. on the east steps of the Salt Lake City-County Building, 452 S. State. A map of the route will be available at www.provo.org.

The mayors hope food donations will match those collected by the BYU and U. alumni associations in a friendly competition during the two weeks leading up to the annual game. The results of those food drives have not yet been announced. Last year, BYU's alumni collected 100,000 pounds of food to Utah's 81,000. U. alumni raised $29,000 to best BYU's $20,000.

Billings asked Provo residents to donate to Community Action Services and Food Bank, which serves Utah, Summit and Wasatch counties, or to any food drives at work or in neighborhoods.

Becker and Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon asked Salt Lake County residents to do the same for the Utah Food Bank.

Residents in both communities can also donate food at any Jiffy Lube or Smith's Food & Drug location.

— Tad Walch