Public Information Officer Gary Lose chats with one of the children participating in the bike rodeo sponsored by the Town of Vienna Parks and Recreation department. Approximately 100 children participated in the four-hour event. Photo by Brian Hanifin/Vienna Parks and Recreation
The annual Town of Vienna Parks and Recreation rodeo is different from most community events. The police department worked with the children participating as they navigated the obstacle course. Vienna’s bike shops, Bikes@Vienna and Spokes donated their time and expertise to the event, giving free bike and helmet checks to local children. Representatives from “iCan Shine,” a national non-profit that encourages recreational activities for people with disabilities, provided information on its learning-to-ride-a-bike programs. There were even free bounce houses for young children. To encourage safe bicycling, Inova Hospital’s head trauma unit gave away children’s bicycle helmets, in small to young-teen sizes. By event’s close, no helmets remained.
About 100 children participated in the four-hour event held on Saturday, May 9, on the grounds of the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department and in the community center’s parking lot.