DJ Benny Demus with three daughters and wife at LOOMINATE on St. Thomas in August 2021. By. BENNY DEMUS
Benny Demus, a St. Thomas native and deejay to international music icon Akon, is bringing LOOMINATE Bike Ride to St. Croix on Saturday, December 18. Mr. Demus first held this rideout on St. Thomas in August.
Riders are encouraged to arrive with their bikes at the David C. Canegata Ballpark at 4:00 pm. When they arrive, they will receive a bag with t-shirts, sound-activated wristbands that illuminate and more. There will be twinkling lights to “dress up your bike,” Mr. Demus said.
The ride out will commence at 6:00 p.m. with a VIPD escorted route spanning from the starting point of the D.C. Canegata Ballpark to the furthest point at the Ancilmo Marshall Command Police Station at the Richmond stoplight. The rideout will end at the ballpark.
Police officers and rescue will be stationed along the route. There will also be water stations and bike support from Island Life Bike Adventures Bike Shop should anyone need to make minor bike adjustments to prepare them for the ride.
It's a family affair. Participants can dress up in costumes. The ride route is easy enough for people of all ages who are able to ride a bike to participate. “It’s a ride, not a race,” Mr. Demus said. Participants can return to the home base of the ballpark at any point where they will be entertained. There’s no pressure to complete the entire route.
Registration is already closed, so 100 people are expected to participate. Unregistered people who have a bicycle are urged to still attend. There will be extra lights to decorate bikes. If anyone doesn’t have a bike, they can enter a raffle to win one of over 30 bicycles donated by the sponsors. Although registration is closed at this time, Mr. Demus welcomes the St. Croix community to still come out and ride along.
Mr. Demus expressed his longtime desire to bring one of his giveback events to the island of St. Croix. On St. Thomas, he’s previously hosted marble games and The Benny Demus Carnival Kickball Game. After launching LOOMINATE on St. Thomas this August, Mr. Demus was approached by a friend to partner in hosting another. From there, the plans to bring the rideout to St. Croix began between the main sponsors, The DEMUS Foundation and the Jaycobie Blash Foundation.
LOOMINATE would not have been possible without the following sponsors who donated their time, services, products, and bicycles:
The DEMUS Foundation
Jaycobie Blash Foundation
Kobaz Enterprises LLC
Pepsi (1 bike)
Gatorade (1 bike)
Michelob Ultra (1 bike)
Aquafina
Department of Sports, Parks & Recreation (2 bikes)
V.I.P.D.
Mercer Empire Exotics
McCoughtry Enterprises
Neighborhood Pharmacy
DPMNM
Island Life Adventures Bike Shop
City of Refuge
The Remedy
Pumpa
Bon Manjer Restaurant (11 bikes)
Mango Tree Riders (5 bikes)
If interested in donating your business or organization’s time, products, or services to this free community event, send an email to [email protected]. Follow @loominatebikeride on Instagram.
