So Cal carvers give back at group rides

At last year's inaugural MLK, Jr. Ride of Long Beach, event organizers TrikkeWorld and SouthBay Trikke decided to charge riders an entry fee of one can-food item, to be donated to the Food Bank of Southern California. [See video at the end of this story.]

"It was an effort to make the event meaningful and a reflection of the spirit of Dr. King's dream," said Randy Boyd, publisher of TrikkeWorld. "It ended up turning into something much more meaningful than we ever imagined."

That's because the idea was so well received by carvers in the region, the entry fee became a permanent fixture for every ride hosted by the partnership known as SBT&T, including Saturday's MLK II.

In 2011, SBT&T staged 15 events, each time collecting can-foods for the Food Bank, the primary food provider for 700 community-based agencies who feed the poorest of the poor in Long Beach and throughout Los Angeles County. That makes up 2.5% of the entire Los Angeles population, 68% of whom are children.

"Just shows, you can have fun and give back at the same time," said Boyd.