Bike Rodeo

CHILDREN FIND THE ROAD TO Positive Community Interactions with Police

Collingswood Borough will hold annual Bike Rodeo on Oct. 16

PHOTO COURTESY OF REBECCA CALLOWAY Children attend the 2020 Collingswood Bike Rodeo.

BY JENNIFER AMATO

Collingswood is known for its downtown area, but the real draw is its small-town feel.

“We want everybody in the borough to know each other …” said Rebecca Calloway, the director of Community and Business Development for the municipality. “In order to cultivate a small-town feel, it’s important to cultivate these relationships.”

What contributes to that “one big happy family” feeling, according to Calloway, is community programs such as the upcoming bike rodeo on Oct. 16.

This third annual event invites children up to age 12 to participate in an obstacle course where they can learn to maneuver and brake, have a helmet fitted, get their bicycles repaired if needed, learn bike safety education and meet the borough’s police officers.

“It’s put together as a way to help our local kids learn bike safety and build relationships with our local police,” said Calloway.

Children and their parents can stop by the Scottish Rite Auditorium on White Horse Pike any time from 9 a.m. to noon; they can ride around the parking lot for as long as they would like.

Children will be separated into groups by age and skill level.

Young children using training wheels will have time to play.

Police officers will talk to other children about safety when crossing streets or when riding around with their friends.

For the bike rodeo, the borough partners with Cross County Connection, which focuses on bicycle and pedestrian safety throughout the state.

Cross County Connection is a transportation management association designated for Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Salem, Atlantic, Cumberland and Cape May counties. They promote outdoor activities to combat obesity and traffic congestion, try to improve air quality and encourage sustainable modes of transportation, according to Joseph Wilson, director of marketing.

Cross County Connection has worked with Collingswood for 10 years, offering presentations in schools about bike and pedestrian safety, such as walking safely in a crosswalk, rules of the intersection, what side of the road to stay on, how to dress at night, helmet laws, how to check a bicycle and rules of the road, according to Michele Geiger, marketing outreach specialist and SRTS education specialist.

Cross County Connection partners with the Collingswood Police Department for the bike rodeo event. Cross County representatives check helmets and bicycles while police officers set up and run the obstacle course.

Safety protocols will be followed, much as they were in 2020, when the event was held with masks and social distancing. Around 50 children participated, assisted by five to 10 officers.

“It was a nice event,” Calloway recalled. “It was something we could bring kids and families safely outside” and an opportunity to do something social, which people hadn’t been able to do for so long due to the pandemic.”

Plus, she said the children learn who the police officers are and the officers learn the children’s names. She said, afterward children are not afraid to say “hi” or show an officer their bike when they are out and about.

“What builds a strong community is when everybody feels comfortable with one another,” Calloway said. ■

Collingswood’s Third Annual Bike Rodeo

Saturday, Oct. 16 9 a.m. to noon Scottish Rite Auditorium, parking lot, 315 White Horse Pike, Collingswood Activities include bike riding, an obstacle course, helmet fi tting, bike repairs, bike safety information. Children should bring their own bicycles and gear, but helmets will be provided, if needed.

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