Another large crowd expected for bike rodeo
April 22, 2009
By Michael Rowe
This year’s Tanner Jeans Bike Safety Rodeo in Snoqualmie is expected to draw a record crowd. Organizers expect at least 1,200 people to attend.
The event’s great expectations come from its new partnership with Radio Disney. The radio arm of the Disney Corporation will promote the event on its popular station and will also broadcast live from the June 13 rodeo.
The event’s first year in 2005 drew about 400-500 people, mostly from the Snoqualmie Ridge neighborhood. As new families moved to the neighborhood, more people attended the event, said Laurie Gibbs, president of the Tanner Jeans Foundation. Last year’s crowds were estimated at 800.
The Tanner Jeans Bike Safety Rodeo is the largest in the Seattle area, according to Gibbs. With the participation of Radio Disney, Gibbs expects children from all over Snoqualmie Valley to attend.
The event, which takes place at the Snoqualmie Community Park on Ridge Street and nearby Cascade View Elementary School, will start at 11 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. Kids can get a chance to learn bicycle safety from Snoqualmie police officers, who will set up a safety course for children to ride on. Children who complete the course will receive certificates. Bikes will be inspected to make sure they are in safe conditions. Helmets will also be inspected, with substandard helmets being replaced free of charge. Children without bicycle helmets can get free helmets at the event.
Radio Disney will bring a dance troupe to the event and will also provide a chance for children to enter drawings for a number of prizes, including bikes, skateboards and clothing. An interactive station will also be available for children to pretend to be sportscasters.
For younger children, there will be a variety of entertainment, including face painting, balloon animals, and bounce rooms.
The Tanner Jeans Foundation is supported by donations and community grants from the city of Snoqualmie. The foundation formed in response to the tragic death of Tanner Jeans, a seven-year-old who was struck by a vehicle while riding his bike in the Ridge neighborhood in 2004.
People can support the foundation work, including the Bike Safety Rodeo, by donating on its Web site at www.tannerjeans.com or by calling the foundation at 877-750-4522.
The foundation is also planning an adult-themed fundraiser on June 20 at Snoqualmie Ridge’s TPC Golf Course, starting at 7 p.m. The fundraiser will feature the reunion show of Exit 25, a band featuring Gibbs and other Snoqualmie residents. A golf tournament is also in the works, but a date has not been set.
Reach reporter Michael Bayless Rowe at mrowe@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434, ext. 248.
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