Camp Villagers received safety tips and equipment for riding bicycles at a program called “Bike Rodeo” hosted by the Bike Friendly Advocacy Group Thursday morning at the Rohan Recreation Center.
Teaming up with the advocacy group were the Lady Lake Police Department, University of Florida and University of South Florida to help teach the kids bike riding safety skills and provide them with safety equipment.
The first part of the program took place inside the recreation center, where the kids took quizzes on what they learned and signed pledges to wear their helmets at all times while riding a bike.
The major lessons learned were how to use hand signals when turning and that people under 16 in Florida should always wear a properly fitted helmet while biking.
The kids then received free helmets provided by UF. Lucy Gonzalez, Safe Routes to School Coordinator Center for Urban Transportation Research at USF, helped adjust helmets along with members of the advocacy group.
The Lady Lake Police Department provided law enforcement guides, stickers and other goodies for the kids in free book bags.
The second part of the program took place outside the recreation center where an obstacle course was set up for the kids to test their knowledge on safety.
Detective Gersitz and Capt. Tempesta demonstrated and lead the bike activities around the course. The children readily got on the bikes provided and excitedly showed off their bike riding skills around the strategically placed cones, while exhibiting the safety skills they learned.
“I hope next year it’s [the Bike Rodeo] is on the catalogue,” said Vickie Kinman of Mallory Square who brought her grandson Max to the event on his last day in The Villages. Kinman only found out about the event when she was ready to check out tickets for another activity event online.
Villager Val Strednak brought her two grandkids Max and Laney to the event and called it “wonderful,” since her grandkids loved to bike back at home in Germantown, Maryland.
This was the first ever Bike Rodeo event for Camp Villages, and two more events are set to take place in July and August.
