Riding in the bicycle rodeo

  • By Tami Lange Mosser
  • May 31, 2014
  • 1004
                        
There’s no roping at this rodeo, but there’s still plenty of fun to be had for children who love their bikes. The Wooster Kiwanis Club and the Wooster Police Department are coming together for the third annual bike rodeo Saturday, June 7 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot of the Wayne County Justice Center at 201 West North Street. The scheduling of the rodeo dovetails nicely with the annual Main Street Wooster Kids’ Day, which is held a few blocks away at the Wayne County Public Library from 1-4 p.m., according to Kiwanian James Dewald. The event is targeted toward children who will be entering first through fifth grades this fall, though Dewald said that children of any age are welcome to participate. For the past few years, the rodeo was funded with grant money from the Safe Routes to School program, but not this year. In order to bridge the gap, Dewald said both the Kiwanis and the police department are happy to have partners and sponsors, including the City of Wooster, Ride On, Frito-Lay, Haudenschild Insurance, the Wooster City Schools, the Cleveland Clinic and John’s Power Washing. Officers who are bicycle safety-certified will be on hand to guide children through stations that each teach a different cycling skill, Dewald said, whether it be how to signal a turn, how to round a corner or how to proceed safely from the driveway onto a public street. Bill Buckwalter of Ride On “will be on hand to do bike inspections,” Dewald said. “And there will be a free lunch for all participants.” Also provided free of charge will be helmets, T-shirts, bike locks and safety lights. Kiwanians will staff the event, Dewald said. The number of participants in the rodeo has risen from 60 the first year to 120 last year, Dewald said. A big draw this year is sure to be the drawing for two boys’ bikes and two girls’ bikes, provided at cost to the event by Ride On. Registration forms for the event can be found at http://www.woosteroh.com/citynews.php?mon=162. “We’d like as many people as possible to fill out the sign-up forms ahead of time,” Dewald said. “It keeps the lines moving faster.”


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