Walton grant used to hire race director

Fayetteville panel picks firm to organize cyclocross events

FAYETTEVILLE — The Advertising and Promotion Commission has received a $2.3 million grant from the Walton Family Foundation to bolster cyclocross events in the city, and on Monday the commission hired a contractor to help handle the workload.

The commission was awarded the grant last month from the foundation’s Personal Philanthropy Group to host, produce and promote a series of cyclocross events, including a world championship in 2022.

Cyclocross is like mountain biking, involving short courses with obstacles, hills, steps and rough terrain prompting riders to get off their bikes to run for certain parts and get back on.

The grant covers a plan to develop the city into a cyclocross destination, said Molly Rawn, the commission’s executive director. The amount includes money for licensing fees, marketing, staffing, course development, security, emergency personnel and permits, she said.

So far, three events are scheduled: FayetteCross on Oct. 5-6, an international event next year and the world championship event in 2022. Union Cycliste Internationale, known as UCI in the United States, will host its world championship in January 2022 at Centennial Park at Millsap Mountain.

The largest portion of the $2.3 million grant — $350,000 — will go to hiring a race director and organizer. The commission on Monday selected Parkven Productions for the job. Rawn said Parkven helped bring the world championship to the city, and the event is expected to draw 15,000 visitors.

“Partnering with them to