CARIBOU, Maine — Members of the Caribou Recreation Department took a group of local children on a bike ride across town, during their annual Caribou Bike Trek held on Sunday. Along with help from parents, employees, volunteers and an impressive police escort, the bikers made their way from Teague Park Elementary School to the Caribou High School.
On June 5, members of the Caribou Rec Department, along with Caribou Rotarians presented Teague Park third-graders with high visibility reflective vests, because as rec Program Director Neal Sleeper reminded the students, being visible is one of the most important aspects of bicycle safety.
This was the first year the rec department had decided to transition from second-grade students to third-graders, due mostly to the trek taking place on busy roads. Sleeper admitted he felt the third-grade students would be better prepared for this year’s ride.
“We decided to switch from second-grade to third-grade this year because we felt the third-grade students would be better prepared for a bike ride on the busy roads we would have to ride on to get to the high school,” said Sleeper. “Our main priority when biking is always safety, so making sure the bikers are ready for the ride.”
The reflective vests were donated to the students by the Caribou Rotary, in conjunction with L.L. Bean, as part of the annual bike trek and were another example of safety and precautionary methods the rec employees were hoping to stress to the third-graders, as they strive to achieve safer and more friendly roads for cyclists, while also simply getting children outside and participating in physical activities.
The large group of students, parents, volunteers and bike enthusiasts met at Teague Park School at noon for registration, and by 1 p.m. the group of nearly 50 bikers followed their police escort down Glenn St. and onto Park St. From Park St. the group took a right up Main St. and followed their pattern of taking side roads for as much of the ride as possible. The idea of teaching the young bikers the safest route to the high school was just another aspect of bicycle safety that employees like Sleeper and rec Superintendent Kathy Mazzuchelli hoped to teach students.
“This year’s trek emphasized safe routes to school,” said Sleeper.
Sleeper explained that two different surveys were conducted, one given to parents and the other to students, asking about ways in which students are traveling to school. For those students who choose to ride their bikes to school, Sleeper and his fellow employees at the rec deptartment are looking to make that trip more safe.
Once the bikers completed their trek and cruised into the high school parking lot, they were greeted with a surprise. Rotary members, parents and volunteers were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the bikers with ice cream cones at the ready. The kids put down their kick-stands and made their way to the ice cream line, where they cooled down after their ride.
The 2014 Trek Across Caribou marks the 21st time the rec deptartment has held the event. In the past, the rec has given away helmets to students, as this year marks the first time in which the high visibility vests were donated. Along with this year’s vests, 2,804 helmets have been donated to young bicycle enthusiasts over the last 21 years.
