Raingear was the attire of the day, but the predicted storms held off long enough for Sitka to host a damp first Kidical Mass family oriented bike ride Saturday, Sept. 19.
This event, which drew about 75-100 riders, featured a ride of about 1.5 miles from the tennis courts/playground across from Sheldon Jackson Campus to the Keet Gooshi Heen Elementary School covered playground area. It was held in conjunction with dozens of other Kidical Mass rides around the world, as Sept. 19 was declared Kidical Massive with the hope of having the biggest family bike ride ever, according to Kidical Massive organizers in Eugene, Ore.
Kidical Mass is a legal, safe and FUN bike ride for kids, kids at heart, and their families. The first ride was held in 2008 in Eugene, Ore., and has now spread to dozens of communities throughout North America and beyond. Kidical Mass rides encourage safe riding for kids and families, with education about how to safely ride on the roads.
The Sitka Kidical Mass ride featured bike safety checks, bike helmet fitting (reminder, Sitka has a youth bike helmet ordinance with all riders age 18 or younger required to use a helmet), door prizes (including three traffic yellow rain jackets), bike skills events, and pedal-powered smoothies (where the blender was powered by a bike). Local organizers include the Sitka Bicycle Friendly Community Coalition, 4-H, UAF Cooperative Extension Service Sitka District Office, Sitka Community Schools, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska, and Sitka Community Hospital.
A slideshow of scenes from the ride is posted below:
[…] part of the national Kidical Massive series of events around the country. Last year, Sitka held its first Kidical Mass bike ride, with kids using pedal power to mix smoothies after the ride was […]
[…] Sept. 17 has been dubbed “Kidical Massive” by the Oregon organizers, who are calling for Kidical Mass rides in dozens of communities that they estimate will be the biggest global family bike ride ever. Last year, Sitka hosted its first Kidical Mass event as part of Kidical Massive, and you can see photos by clicking this link. […]
[…] first Kidical Mass event as part of Kidical Massive in 2015, and you can see photos by clicking this link. Sitka’s second Kidical Mass ride was in 2016, and photos can be found […]
[…] first Kidical Mass event as part of Kidical Massive in 2015, and you can see photos by clicking this link. Sitka’s second Kidical Mass ride was in 2016, and photos can be found here. Photos from […]
[…] its first Kidical Mass event as part of Kidical Massive in 2015, and you can see photos by clicking this link. Sitka’s second Kidical Mass ride was in 2016, and photos can be found here. Photos from […]