The Town of Tillsonburg is ‘calling all young cyclists.’
Tillsonburg, in partnership with Oxford OPP, is hosting a free bike rodeo at the Tillsonburg Community Center on Saturday, May 27 from 10 am to 12 pm
“It’s going to be wheel-y big fun for all ages,” said Julie Dawley, long-time member of Tillsonburg’s Recreation, Culture and Parks department, in a media release. “We’ve got lots of interactive activities lined up and challenging opportunities for kids to become more confident in their riding.
“Everyone knows I’m a big advocate for swimming lessons and water safety training, but learning how to be safe when riding a bike is an equally important life skill.”
There are two bike rodeo age groups – the ‘full rodeo experience’ is available for ages 5-and-older and the ‘mini-rodeo experience’ is for the under 5 children. All cyclists must have a helmet and closed-toe shoes to participate.
“Tillsonburg is growing and that means more traffic on the road,” said Mayor Deb Gilvesy. “We want to do our part, in partnership with the OPP, to help children learn to navigate streets and roadways safely.”
In the full rodeo experience, participants will learn and practice essential bike handling and traffic skills, including challenging drills. Activities will be held in the parking lot next to the JL Scott McLean Outdoor Recreation Pad at 45 Hardy Ave. Pre-registration is required and the first 75 participants will receive a swag bag of goodies provided by the OPP, Town of Tillsonburg and area supporters.
Register through the Town of Tillsonburg website for the over-5 rodeo.
No pre-registration is required for the mini-rodeo experience, where children on tricycles or bikes with training wheels can participate in fun, age-appropriate activities inside the safety of the Scott McLean rec pad.
Everyone will receive a bike rodeo certificate from Tillsonburg Town Council. For more information contact the Tillsonburg Community Center at 519-688-9011.