They didn’t have to be at school for another hour, yet Casselberry Elementary School students gathered at the Crystal Bowl Park Butterfly Garden shortly after dawn. They came prepared: equipped with bikes and safety helmets, they were ready to ride to school.
After taking the obligatory group photos, each kid got a “safety bag” – complete with comic books, stickers, bookmarks, safety trading cards, reflective armbands and iY4Peds (“I Yield for Pedestrians”) stickers. Then they were off in a race to class.
Students all across Central Florida will be celebrating Bike to School Day. It’s also during National Bike Month. Casselberry Elementary is celebrating all week with bike safety events. Best Foot Forward paired with the Seminole County School crossing guards to support all the kids who came out to ride.
The kids event got their parents to ride too! In all, more than 80 people rode together for the trip to Casselberry Elementary. Together, their short ride helped to raise awareness for bike safety.
In honor of Bike Safety Week, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office shared some easy tips for all bikers to stay safe: always wear a helmet, inspect your bike before each ride, make yourself visible with bright colors and reflectors, have only one rider to each bike and, most importantly, have fun!
The bike safety awareness continued later in the week on National Bike to School Day, May 8, when Thornebrooke Elementary School celebrated. They handed out bike safety goodies to the kids and parents who rode their bikes to school that day.
Goodies passed out at Thornebrooke Elementary
That same morning, Audubon Park School was also in on the fun! Their first Bike to School event began at three separate meet-up locations. From there, the students biked or walked to class. They ran across some informative tables with safety opportunities along the way. Hundreds of kids participated in the event, and 100 parents joined as well.
Additionally, the school held a special ceremony where local resident Rob Greenfield gifted five new bikes to students whose bicycles had been stolen. He shared his story about his stolen bike and encouraged the kids to act with kindness. The Orange County Safe Kids Coalition also donated locks and helmets to the cause.
We’re so happy to see all of the kindness and positivity that promoted safe biking habits this week. Overall, the sprawl of events helped provide alternatives to using the car line, promoted a healthy lifestyle and brought communities together for positive and safe experiences. We’re already excited for next year’s National Bike to School Day!