Mat-Su Regional to hold annual Bicycle Safety Rodeo at Menard

By Jacob Mann Frontiersman.com

PALMER— The Mat-Su Regional Medical Center is hosting its annual Bicycle Safety Rodeo at the Menard Sports Center on June 22, running from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

“We look forward to doing it every (year),” MSRMC Director of Marketing and Public Relations Alan Craft said.

This annual safety oriented event will have a spectrum of activities and free giveaways. There will be drawings for free bicycles and the first 100 attendees will receive free helmets. All the free helmets will be fitted to the recipient. There will also be free snacks, refreshments and promotional items.

The Alaska Bicycle Center and Backcountry Bike and Ski will be onsite performing safety checks on bicycles and helmets, so attendees are encouraged to bring theirs.

This event is open to all ages but has children at its center. They will have a variety of obstacle courses to teach them safe maneuvering techniques.

A variety of speakers such as medical experts will speak in front of the crowd to address bicycle safety. Craft said that last year, one of their nurses gave a presentation about head trauma and other serious injuries related to bike riding and similar activities.

“We’ve always had all-star presenters talking about bike safety,” Craft said.

This event was created in 2012 to promote and offer education and resources for bicycle safety and related health topics, particularly for children, according to Craft.

“It became very well received,” Craft said.

Over 250 children and their families attended last year’s event. Craft said that it took off fast and outgrew its original location at the outpatient center on Bogard Road three years ago. It moved to the Menard Center and has since better accommodated the growing attendance while providing much more room than before in the big parking lot for the obstacle courses.

For more information, call Deena Straub at 907-861-6807 or email a.straub@msrmc.com.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com