The Lawrence Central Rotary Bike Ride is gearing up (literally) again and Steve Lane got the ball rolling at the Central Rotary Club meeting on June 11.
Steve, who definitely holds the title “most organized man on the planet,” presented a schedule of dates and time frames, got volunteers for various areas, and showed the poster for the July 19 Community Bike Ride at the Lawrence Rotary Arboretum.
The idea for a community bike ride started in 2009 when Central Lawrence Rotary reached out for a project and wanted to provide a way for local people to live a healthier lifestyle. The first activity was to install bike racks around the city, and creating the Ride Lawrence Website as a clearing house for all thing bicycle related in Lawrence. The initiative evolved into the Community Bike Ride and by 2011 the ride included 60 children and their parents.
It has has grown each year and now offers three routes: a one-mile easy tour; a three-mile family ride; and a 10-mile ride to I-70.
In summer 2013, Steve said the club applied for and received a grant and will focus on people who are new to riding. There will be training wheel take-off, with experts helping young riders, bike helmet fitting and a helmet give-away. Lawrence Memorial Hospital Safe Kids will assist. Karrey Britt, communications coordinator for the Lawrence Douglas County Health Department, has also offered her services.
And, Steve said, he has scheduled Sunday, July 20 as an alternative date to avoid the cancellation that occurred in 2013 when a torrential rain storm washed out the ride.
He was excited to confirm that based on the grants Lawrence Central has received we will have officially been able to schedule a second ride to be held the third Saturday of September on Lawrence’s Burroughs Creek Trail to commence from the Haskell Indian Nations stadium Parking lot that is alongside the trail.. More information will be posted soon both here and at RideLawrence.com
