Bike Rodeos Educate Kids on Safety and Road Rules
Almost five years ago, Kohl’s Cares teamed up with Golisano Children’s Hospital at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) to create Kohl’s Pedal Patrol. Since its inception, the program has reached about 1,750 young riders through various avenues, including bike rodeos.
The Kohl’s Pedal Patrol bike rodeos, which also rely on partnerships with the Monroe County Office of Traffic Safety (MCOTS) and Rochester’s chapter of the Injury Free Coalition for Kids, are held at Rochester’s Public Market for children from various city recreation centers. After being fitted for a bike helmet, kids, ranging in age from 6 to 15, participate in different skills courses, including riding inside the lines, pedaling around figure eights of orange cones, and breaking at specific points. They will have the opportunity to learn many of these skills from a Rochester Police Department bike patrol officer.
The following is a list of when different recreation centers will be attending a rodeo, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Rochester’s Public Market:
Any child can participate in the summer bike rodeo program, as long as they have parental permission and sign up through one of the city recreation centers. The seven scheduled bike rodeos host about 50 kids each, with a total of about 350 children learning bike safety throughout the summer.
“We hope that every child who participates is able to transfer what they learn at the rodeos to riding safely at home,” said Anne Brayer, M.D., pediatrician in Emergency Medicine at URMC and director of Injury Free Coalition for Kids of Rochester.