Edwin Blackgaard announced yesterday that his Harlequin Dinner Theatre is sponsoring a bike race this Saturday in McCalister Park. "I put together this bike race out of the kindness of my heart," Blackgaard said. "I care deeply for this community."

The race will take place on a two-mile track, and anyone under the age of 15 may enter. The grand prize for winning the race is a yearlong pass to all performances at the Harlequin Theatre and a new mountain bike.

"I tried to imagine what the youth of Odyssey would want the most," Blackgaard said. "And I thought, which of these fine children wouldn’t want to see quality drama performed by a master of the theatre? My assistant, Shakespeare, suggested the mountain bike, but I doubt many of the children will be interested in that part of the prize."

Some local children have already expressed interest. "I can’t wait for the race," David Straussberg said. "I’ve been hoping to get a new bike for awhile."