SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio -- It was time on Saturday morning to round up the horses, er, bikes, and head to Greenview Upper Elementary School to have some fun at the rodeo.
For the second straight year the South Euclid-Lyndhurst Schools conducted a bike rodeo for elementary school children, this year drawing nearly 100 youngsters and their bikes to the event at Greenview School, 1825 S. Green Road.
All phases of bike safety were addressed, as helmets were dispersed and bikes made safer via the repair services of Eddy's Bike Shop. The morning also included face painting, fun foods, a bike raffle, and bicycle registration.
"We take in about 60 bikes a year and the vast majority of them do not have licenses," said South Euclid Police Chief Kevin Nietert, who was present at the rodeo along with nine other SEPD officers and three from the Lyndhurst Police Department. "If bikes don't have a license we can't identify the owner and we end up auctioning them."
The licenses are available at no cost during daytime hours at the South Euclid police station, 1349 S. Green Road.
After getting all their gear in proper working condition, the youngsters then had their skills tested on an obstacle course. On the course, officers timed and took notice of the children's bike riding skills, as well as aspects of their riding they need to improve upon to be the safest riders possible.
Businesses that donated to the event, in addition to Eddy's Bike Shop, included Giant Eagle, Target, Walmart, AVI Food Systems and Coca-Cola. The bike rodeo was, in part, sponsored by money South Euclid received from the Ohio Department of Transportation's Safe Routes to School grant.
The last portion of the three-hour event was reserved for a BMX stunt show put on by bike riders from Dialed Action Sports Team. Youngsters and their parents watched as riders performed a series of high-flying tricks on ramps and spoke to the children about the importance of bike safety.