BROWNSVILLE — Learning how to ride a bike is a childhood rite of passage, so the police officers who serve the Brownsville Independent School District spent yesterday morning making sure children learned bike safety at the same time.
The department held its 9th annual Summer Bike Rodeo, a safety expo for students in kindergarten through sixth grade, in the parking lot at Sams Memorial Stadium.
Officer Cindy Paz, one of the event’s organizers, said attendees were instructed on the basics of bicycle safety, including the importance of wearing helmets and using hand signals. The police department also raffled new children’s bicycles.
“Summer is right around the corner, so we want to remind kids to ride their bikes in a safe way,” she said.
Children took turns winding bikes around an obstacle course, where they navigated around traffic cones and steered their bikes around a figure eight drawn in chalk.
Eva Garcia, who manages the Brownsville Bike Barn, was on hand to teach families about the ABCs of bike safety, which stands for air, breaks and chain. She said it’s important for cyclists to make sure their tires hold air, the brakes stop the wheels and the chain isn’t loose or in danger of falling off.
“We’re trying to teach kids just the basics so when they go out for a ride, they know their bike is ready to go,” Garcia said.
During National Bike Month in May, the Brownsville Bike Barn lowers the volunteer hours requirement to earn a free bike from 15 hours to 5 hours, she said. The last Saturday to get volunteer hours in is May 26, when the facility at 624 E. Madison St. will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Roel Cavazos, a Brownsville ISD officer, and wife Janie took their goddaughter to the event. Three-year-old Jordyn bounded happily toward the stage to claim a pink and white bicycle she won during the raffle.
“I think more people should come and learn,” Janie Cavazos said while her husband guided Jordyn as she peddled along on her new bike. “It’s something great for the kids.”
