Young people were able to learn about the value of bicycle safety during a free bicycle safety clinic hosted by the Estevan Family Resource Centre on Saturday at Royal Heights Veterans’ Memorial Park.
“This is a great time of year to do it, because lots of kids are going to be out riding their bikes over the summer, so it’s good to make sure they’re safe,” said family centre executive director Jennifer Dunne.
Const. Don DeChief from the Estevan Police Service was present to speak to the kids about basic safety for bicycles.
Fifteen kids participated in a morning session, and another 12 were part of an afternoon class. All participants in both sessions were between the ages of six to 12.
“It’s always great (to have interest), and it’s good that we’re able to keep events free, which is what we do at the Estevan family centre, and it’s great to have support from the community with lots of parents who really want to learn.”
DeChief and the family centre talked to the kids about the importance of riding safely, wearing a helmet, making sure they know what they’re doing on the roads and concentrating on their biking.
“Make sure you’re confident and that you know how to ride on a street,” said Dunne.
Some of the cyclists were beginners, while others have been riding a bike for a few years. But they were all really confident and willing to learn the tools and tips that were presented.
“I know that a lot of the schools are teaching some of the rules of the road for bike safety, so some of the kids know them already, know some of the arm signals, and for some of them it’s new, so it’s great to be able to give them some of those tools,” said Dunne.
Children jumped on their bikes a few times and weaved their way around some mounds set up on one of the park’s pathways.
Thanks to the response from the community, Dunne said the family centre would look at hosting a bike safety class again, likely earlier in the year.
The family centre tries to keep everything they offer free, and they receive funding and donations to have programs to ensure that everyone in the community can participate.
