This was supposed to be Dirty Kanza week in Emporia — at least the rescheduled week.
Obviously coronavirus changed the game, first by forcing organizers to delay the event and then to cancel it. However, Dirty Kanza Event Director LeLan Dains tells KVOE News race organizers have been busy.
Close to 4,000 riders from around the globe were planning to take part for the original date, and better than 2,700 were still planning to ride this weekend.
Over the weekend, the Life Time Foundation announced a partnership with Emporia Public Schools Food Service for a three-year, $80,000 effort to clear highly processed and artificial ingredients from menus as well as nearly $18,000 to cover costs of supporting students and their families as the pandemic continues — money generated after better than 120 DK riders donated their registration fees to the foundation after the event was canceled.
Meanwhile, Dains says a name change for the event is coming soon — perhaps well before the month is out.
Race organizers publicly expressed a desire to change the name after co-founder Jim Cummins parted ways with Life Time Fitness, saying the name could be considered a slur against the Kaw Native American Nation. In April, tribal leadership did not object to the name as part of a joint statement. Since then, more tribal members have asked for the event to move forward without any connection to the Kaw. Dains says the name change will be accompanied by a new look for the event as well.
