by: JARREL WADE World Staff Writer
Monday, June 07, 2010
Click here to read the story in the Tulsa World
Rip Stell/Tulsa World
Tulsa families joined in with the high-speed professional cyclists Sunday for a ride through Tulsa and some children earned a brand new Tulsa Tough bike upon completing the course.
The Tulsa Tough Townie Ride opened up Tulsa Tough to everyone with an eight-mile ride Sunday afternoon, beginning and ending at about 15th Street and Riverside Drive.
Mark Riddle and his two sons, 12-year-old Zach Riddle and 9-year-old Jaden Riddle, rode together and were excited, despite the hot weather and recent injuries.
Zach had a bandage on his left knee from a recent accident, he said.
“My wheel got caught between the sidewalk and the grass and I fell off,” he said.
His father said Zach wouldn’t let a fall keep him from the ride.
“He’s coming back from a knee injury,” he said. “He’s Tulsa tough.”
Jaden was on a sparkling new bike his father just bought for him.
“This is his (Jaden’s) first time riding a long way on a bike with more than one speed,” said Mark Riddle. “So he’s excited.”
About 700 people rode, including 70 children who earned their Tough Kid Challenge bike, said Tonja Pitzer, River Parks Authority public relations and events manager.
Paul Thomas, Tulsa Area Community Schools Initiative coordinator with the Community Service Council, said he was riding with 13 children who completed the Tulsa Tough Challenge this year through a partner program at Kendall-Whittier Elementary School. “Everyone of them finished,” he said. “They were all excited and proud of themselves.”
The children rode their Trek bikes, provided by Children’s Hospital at St. Francis, according to the Tulsa Tough official website.
To complete the challenge, children in third, fourth or fifth grade must attend a Safe Escape class conducted by the Crime Commission, complete a take-home worksheet on bike safety, attend a skills and drills class on bicycle handling and participate in the Tulsa Townie ride.
Thomas said the Kendall-Whittier program is part of a new partnership with Tulsa Tough that allows kids to earn their bike in an after-school program that teaches them delayed gratification and how to reach goals.
About seven parents of children in the Kendall-Whittier program joined in on the Townie Ride to support their children, he said.
All Tulsa Townie riders received a ride-finisher’s medal at the end of the ride, and Tough Kids Challenge riders got their official certificate of ownership for their bicycles.
Jarrel Wade 581-8367
jarrel.wade@tulsaworld.com
