'Go Joe' coming to Renovo

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WHAT: Joe Snedeker live broadcast

WHEN: 6 p.m. Sunday at 16th Street Memorial Park in Renovo;

5- 7 a.m. Monday at Doyle Corman Amphitheater in Lock Haven

LOCK HAVEN - Joe Snedeker said he likes to start out his annual charity bicycle run at "a distant, far-off point," in relation to his Scranton-Wilkes Barre home area, and this year he found that distant point in Renovo.

The popular weather forecaster for TV station WNEP is launching his 11th "Go Joe" bicycle run on Sunday to benefit Scranton's St. Joseph's Center, a facility for special needs children.

He plans to begin the bike ride with a live broadcast special originating from Renovo at 6:30 p.m., after which he'll ride 28 miles to Lock Haven, stay overnight at a local hotel, and begin his morning broadcast in the city prior to heading off to his next "Go Joe" stops in Muncy and Mifflinburg.

Snedeker said he's looking forward to experiencing Clinton County's scenic beauty again. He visited the city last year after his "Go Joe X" event, and biked through Renovo about six years ago.

"It's a beautiful area there with the river," he said. "And I'm not just saying that as cheesy PR talk."

The Newswatch 16 morning meteorologist launched "Go Joe" in 1998, he said, when he simply approached the station with the idea of doing a solo charity bike ride for St. Joseph's. At the time he was a part-time weekend weatherman and full-time science teacher.

Over the last 11 years "Go Joe" has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the hospital and vastly improved public awareness of St. Joseph's mission to help those with special needs.

"It's unbelievable. I'm very proud of it," Snedeker said of the growth and impact of his "Go Joe" rides. "I love the way the communities in the area are highlighted and we get to showcase this wonderful area."

Throughout the week, Snedeker's ride will wind through northeastern and central Pennsylvania and make stops at around noon and 6 p.m. daily. On the last day of the ride - Saturday, July 26 - Snedeker's bike will take him back to St. Joseph's Center for Festival 2008 and a live appearance at a telethon broadcast.

In past years, "Go Joe" has taken Snedeker to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cincinnati, Atlantic City, Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts, and Kitty Hawk, N. C.

This is the second year that Snedeker's ride will remain within his TV station employer's viewing area.

Snedeker and WNEP representatives encourage fans and supporters to show up at checkpoints and along the route of Snedeker's ride, but ask that they do so cautiously and not try to join Snedeker on the ride, hand him donations or otherwise engage him while he's biking from one location to the next, due to safety considerations.

Station officials said Snedeker will ride at his own pace, with a target of reaching the checkpoints each day, but the nearly 600 mile ride provides daily challenges. Due to the unpredictability of the weather and the mountainous terrain, Snedeker cannot guarantee that he will be at any of the planned stops at a specific time.

"The peddle itself is tough," he said. "It's 100 miles a day. At the end of the day I have to play up to a big welcoming crowd and put on my game face, which can be draining all by itself. I don't want to sound like a whiner, but a 100-mile bike ride is the equivalent of a 28-mile marathon. Imagine doing that five days in a row, and the next morning I'm up at 5:30 a.m. to do it all over again. So I'm in bed most nights by 9 p.m."

An avid biker, Snedeker said he bikes "all year round. Most of the year I do 100 miles per week."

Station officials describe Snedeker as one of WNEP's most popular personalities. His often preposterous on-air antics have made him a favorite throughout the region.

"People connect with me as a real dysfunctional guy," Snedeker says wryly.

For more information and updates on "Go Joe XI," visit wnep.com.