Chicago representative leads West Side bike ride, bringing 2020 census awareness
Ride began in Columbus Park
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois state Rep. LaShawn Ford is leading a bike ride Sunday to bring awareness to the 2020 census.
Hundreds are expected to join Ford, D-Chicago, in the Sunrise Ride For Justice, starting at Columbus Park, 500 S. Central Ave., on Chicago's West Side.
The deadline to fill out the census has been extended to Oct. 31, but there is still a push to get people involved.
Sunday's ride is 13 miles long, and runs through Chicago, Oak Park, Forest Park and Maywood. Lyft provided a limited number of free Divvy bikes for the event, too.
Ford wants to remind residents how important it is to complete the census and be counted. He is especially trying to target the communities he serves, which have low census responses.
"If census matters in terms of dollars, and we say we are not getting our fair share, then let's go out and count the ones that are not being counted so we can get the dollars for our community," Alderman Emma Mitts said.
This was supposed to be the last weekend to push for the census, but a federal court permitted census response to continue into October. The Trump Administration is appealing that decision.
The ride begins at 9 a.m. Learn more at eventbrite.com.
Chicago police also planned to pedal along to keep everyone safe.
