SMART BEAT FOOD, A&P SPONSOR BIKE-A-THON

JUDY CORCORAN

NEW YORK -- Smart Beat Foods has joined United Cerebral Palsy as the sponsor of its annual Bike-a-Thon, held here May 7. Smart Beat, teaming with the cerebral palsy group for the first time, was joined by new sponsors Orangina and Mutual of America, as well as by returning sponsor A&P, Montvale, N.J.

To promote the event, United Cerebral Palsy provides 450,000 brochures, 10,000 posters and 5,000 take-one displays that include the names of all sponsors. The brochures feature a coupon-like insert with a description of several Smart Beat products.

A&P promotes the event for several weeks through its in-store circulars and displays. Orangina is highlighted in the circulars as well as in some endcap displays. Other supermarkets, such as Gristede's, New York, and Pathmark Stores, Woodbridge, N.J., are displaying both the posters and brochures.

Brochures also are mailed to corporations that have participated in the fund-raising event in the past.

The Smart Beat Bike-a-Thon for United Cerebral Palsy, now in its 22nd year, covers a 35-mile course in Manhattan's Central Park, Brooklyn's Prospect Park and Staten Island's Silver Lake Park. Sponsors contribute varying amounts of money per biker for each mile cycled. The cyclists receive incentive prizes based on their total dollars raised.

Joining riders will be popular broadcast and sports personalities from the New York area. Scott Muni, from WNEW-FM radio, will serve as the Bike-a-Thon chairman and be joined by other station personalities. Al Roker of NBC will again serve as the official Bike-a-Thon weatherman, and Glen Healy of the New York Rangers, 1994 Stanley Cup Champions, will be the Bike-a-Thon spokesman.