PRESS RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE
McGaheysville and Mountain View Elementary Schools to host Bike Rodeos
April 29 (3:00-5:00pm) McGaheysville Bicycle Rodeo
May 4 (3:00-5:00pm) Mountain View Bicycle Rodeo
Contact: Kyle Lawrence, Safe Routes to School Facilitator Rockingham County Public Schools, (571) 277-8121, klawrence@rockingham.k12.va.us or Lawrence.kyle.d@gmail.com
Officer Matt Glovier, Bicycle Officer, Rockingham Sheriff’s Office, (540) 271-4134, matt.glovier@rockinghamcountyva.gov
Rockingham County, VA April 29, 2016 – In conjunction with National Bike to School Day and Harrisonburg’s Bike Month, McGaheysville Elementary will hold a bike safety and skill building event for Kindergarten through 5th graders after school Friday April 29 while Mountain View Elementary will hold a bike safety and skills building rodeo after school on Wednesday May 4 Over fifty students are expected to participate in each rodeo and will be treated to bike maneuvering stations as well as a group ride through surrounding neighborhoods. The Rockingham County Schools mobile bicycle fleet will be present for those students who either don’t have bicycles or who bring bicycles in need of repair. Local bicycle shops will perform basic repairs on bikes during the rodeos.
The Rockingham County Sherieff Department will help organize bicycle skills courses as well as lead group rides. School Resource officers will be present to ride with students and help educate how to safely ride bicycles on open streets. “We hope to show students how much fun they can have on a bicycle while increasing their riding skills and safety knowledge at the same time,” says Kyle Lawrence, Safe Routes to School Facilitator with Rockingham County Public Schools. “Bicycle skills are skills for life, whether riding for leisure or for transportation and we want to ensure students are equipped with skills to be safe, healthy and have fun riding a bicycle.”
These events are possible through community collaboration between Rockingham County Safe Routes to School, Rockingham County Sheriff Department, Sentara RMH, McGaheysville Elementary school and PTO, Mountain View Elementary School physical education department and Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office. Volunteers for the event are coming from many community sectors such as the Central Shenandoah Valley Safe Kids Coalition, Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition, local bike shops like Shenandoah Bicycle Company, and Bluestone Bike and Run,. “Harrisonburg and the surrounding area is known as the “Bike Capital” due to our robust bicycle and active lifestyle community.” according to Lawrence. “This community provides the foundation for us to create a bike friendly place for our children for years to come.”
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