LAFAYETTE, La.- Forward Lafayette and Bike Lafayette will host the fourth annual Mickey Shunick Loop Ride st 6 p.m. tonight.

 The ride will begin at Girard Park.

The ride has celebrated the life of Mickey Shunick and other deceased cyclists on the anniversary of the resolution establishing the Mickey Shunick Memorial Bike Loop in her honor. 

The ride will take participants in a loop around Lafayette’s city center, from Girard Park through the University, passing Cajun Field and Moncus Park before returning to Girard Park via West Bayou Parkway.

The ride organizers recommend parking in one of the larger lots in the park or in the nearby Oil Center which has ample street parking. Organizers also encourage all riders and non-riders to attend the official after-party, hosted by The Wurst Biergarten.

Check out the event’s Facebook event page for more.

Last year, the organization partnered with the Judice family to honor Jean Paul Judice who was killed in 2017 while walking his bike. This year the event will take an inclusive approach by riding in honor of Mickey Sunick, Jean Paul, and all other fallen members of the community who were passionate about riding bikes or fell in tragic accidents. 

“This event is an annual tradition that began as an effort to save the West Bayou Parkway bike lanes. It also became a way to honor Mickey and build community through cycling,” said Mark deClouet, a Forward Lafayette organizer. “We have honored Mickey and JeanPaul in the past, but I think we all know someone who has been killed or injured while riding a bike. Now we are giving everyone the chance to celebrate the lives of cyclists they knew.”