CLEARFIELD – Clearfield Borough police will hold a Bicycle Rodeo from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday at the Clearfield Driving Park during the Armed Forces Awareness Day, which is sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 974.
“Bicycle safety is one of the most important concerns for parents and guardians,” said Officer Nathan Curry. “Whether a child is riding their bike on the driveway or venturing beyond the limits of the family home, parents find themselves worrying about their child as they pedal from one place to another.”
According to him, officers share the same concerns and value the importance of educating local youth in the basic fundamentals of not only bicycle safety, but also proper equipment to wear while riding around their neighborhood. As a result, he said officers hold a Bicycle Rodeo each year.
“The event provides a way for officers to educate young bicyclists to practice and develop necessary skills to build confidence that will ensure safety,” said Curry. This, he said, will enable young bicyclists to avoid crashes that result in a number of injuries.
He said that the Bicycle Rodeo features several stations, or obstacle courses. He said these are set up by officers to educate riders and their parents on bicycle safety for everyday situations that could cause injury.
Along with the safety stations, Curry said a mechanic will be available to inspect the children’s bicycles for proper fitting of the chain, brake cables and pads and height of handle bars and seats. Also, he requested that parents bring their child’s helmet to inspect for proper fitting.
At the conclusion of the event, Curry said at least four, $100 gift certificates from Jim’s Sports Center, donated by various local organizations, will be raffled off to the children in attendance. He said that the gift certificates are to go toward the purchase of a new bicycle.
“The overall mission is not only to educate the child in bicycle safety, but also the parents so they can reinforce lessons learned from the day’s events,” said Curry. “By teaming together, the police department and parents can reinforce bicycle safety to guarantee safe riding into the future.”