MONTE VISTA—Approximately 25 children participated in the 2017 Bike Rodeo Safety Day Saturday at Fullenweider Park. The local Boy Scout Troop conducted a Flag Day ceremony to start the events, which included lessons on the importance of wearing a helmet, proper hand signaling for left turns, right turns and stopping, safety inspections and more. The Monte Vista Elks Lodge conducted the event with the assistance of the Monte Vista Police Department (MVPD), with Community Policing Officers Robert and David Pino conducting lessons on signaling and safety as well as monitoring the bike course. Other event sponsors included the Monte Vista Neighborhood Watch, Chef Charles and his wife Kathy, the Rio Grande County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado State Patrol, the City of Monte Vista and the Monte Vista Kids Connection.
Participating children were given a free helmet and taught proper hand signaling before demonstrating that they could safely complete a course set up with traffic cones and directional arrows. The Neighborhood Watch teamed up with MVPD to collect unclaimed bicycles and provide them for children without bikes to complete the course with and take home. The Elks Lodge, through a grant, purchased 10 new bicycles that were provided to children through a raffle. Children earned raffle tickets, as well as Dilly Bar coupons provided by Dairy Queen and a large, free lunch provided by Chef Charles’ BBQ (who also discounted the food for the Elks) when they successfully completed the course.
Volunteers who helped make this year’s rodeo a success include Tom Tancula, Officer Robert Pino, Officer David Pino, Meghan Rogers, Shari DeSautell, Dave Curtis, Simon Schaeffer, C.E. Glunz, Gary Johnson and many other volunteers in addition to the parents and children who kept the event busy, positive and fun for all involved. The local Elks Lodge is looking for new members dedicated to serving their community; dues are $70 per year with an additional $30 initiation fee and Past Exalted Members may be willing to help with fees and dues. Please contact the lodge at 852- 2456 or [email protected] for more information.