More than 115 children spent part of their day Sunday having fun riding their bikes — all while learning about bicycle safety.
Denise Skarra, the city’s recreation co-ordinator who helped organize the annual event, said it was one of the best attended bike rodeos they’ve ever hosted.
“What a great turnout today,” she said. “This year we moved it to a Sunday and I think that might be preferable for the parents. It’s just amazing, and amazing weather.”
Riders, after checking in at the registration desk, each picked up a check list of stations to complete.
Stations included a bike check, helmet check, figure 8 pattern, pylon weave, slow race, crazy crossroads, hill ride, start and stop, scanning and hand signalling, bike wash and helmet and activity matching game.
The emphasis, of course, was on fun, and how to properly control their bike.
“The help from all the volunteers — we can’t do this without them, and we’ve just had a lot of fun,” said Suzanne Cochrane, the city’s recreation programmer.
“This year we really wanted to promote the use of helmets, and we changed it up so parents do the inspection first and learn about how a helmet is supposed to fit properly.”
Any participant whose helmet was either too small, or didn’t fit properly, was given a new one — free of charge.
Sponsors for the event included: McDonald’s, Success by Six, Canadian Tire, Hub International, Community Policing, Red Shreds Bike and Board Shed, the Boys and Girls Club of Williams Lake and District, Youth for Christ and the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex.
Gaby Fichtner, 2, and George Bett, 4, take a turn at the bike washing station Sunday at the Williams Lake McDonald’s Bicycle Rodeo in the Canadian Tire parking lot. (Greg Sabatino photos)Annica Stalker, 7, learns how to properly signal from volunteer, and the city’s manager of recreation, Graeme Donn, at the McDonald’s Bike Rodeo.The city’s recreation co-ordinator Denise Skarra teaches Declan Stalker, 3, to use his hand signals while riding his bike.Graeme Donn alks Jacob Lebel, 5, through one of the many courses setup to teach bike safety.Citizens on Patrol co-ordinator Bob McIntosh takes rider Cydnee McDonough, 8, through an obstacle course.Elijah Hadden, 2, decided carrying his wheeled tractor was easier than riding it, as his great uncle Troy Rud has a laugh.Abigael Mayette (back from left), 4, Phaedra Mayette, 5, Jane Wellburn (back from right) and Angus Wellburn, 2, build new handlebar streamers out of recycled tires — a new station setup this year by the Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society.Claire Augustson, 5, waits to get her bike helmet checked for safety after creating some new handlebar streamers for her bike.Red Shreds Bike and Board Shed owner Mark Savard (right), inspects five-year-old Greyson Pelley’s bike for safety. After given the all clear, Greyson checked off another station off his list of things to do at the McDonald’s Bike Rodeo Sunday.Ethan Bukcmaster, 2, pedals his way along the stations with his dad, Chris Buckmaster, Sunday at the McDonald’s Bike Rodeo.Volunteers Justin Code (left) and Jesse Galloway (right), take Phaedra Mayette through a traffic safety station.Community policing’s Dave Dickson (right) checks out six-year-old Flynn Kinley’s helmet.
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