North Star Grand Prix bike race seeks community help

Organizers of a bicycle festival that has brought top professional racers to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area for years say the event may not happen this year unless they can crowdfund enough support.

The North Star Grand Prix is a multi-day festival that launched nearly 20 years ago. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports organizers have turned to crowdfunding after being unable to line up sufficient sponsorship.

They've set up a GoFundMe page that seeks $200,000.

Their goal is to stage races in St. Paul, Minneapolis' Uptown area and Stillwater from June 14-16. The money must be raised by May 3.

Race director Brendon Hale calls it "the ultimate Hail Mary pass."

The event was known as the Nature Valley Grand Prix before Nature Valley pulled out of title sponsorship in 2013.

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