Preble Trails working to promote bike safety in PC

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PREBLE COUNTY — Preble Trails is working to promote bike safety in Preble County. According to Chairman Dan Schmidt, the organization is working to expand its main event, which is traditionally a bike safety demonstration and helmet giveaway at Hollingsworth East Elementary in Eaton.

This year, the program will be offered at all Preble County school districts.

This will be the fourth year of the event and will include second grade students in all five county districts.

“We feel like the program at Eaton has been a huge success that we put on for second graders. We’re not Eaton Trails, we’re Preble Trails and we want to encompass the whole county whenever we can. Especially to explain to the children what bicycle safety is and help promote that, so as they grow older they know it is important to wear a helmet,” Schmidt said.

Preble Trails has also held a fundraiser selling bike racks to area businesses to raise money for the organization. This year, it will be hosting a fundraising event to continue providing helmets for all area schools. The group will be selling raffle tickets to give away two bicycles donated by an anonymous donor, a YMCA membership, and other prizes.

“We want to promote bicycle safety in Preble County, especially to the younger generation that is coming up. We want to implement the safe skills that are needed to ride a bike, whether you are on a trail, on the road, or in your neighborhood. That is our main goal,” Schmidt said. “Our other goal is to improve infrastructure in the county. Maybe some day down the road have a trail somewhere, which is a much bigger picture and requires a lot more time, effort, studies, and all kinds of different things.”

Stay tuned to the Preble Trails website at prebletrails.org for more information on upcoming events.

By Kelsey Kimbler

[email protected]

Reach Kelsey Kimbler at 937-683-4061 or on Twitter @KKimbler_RH

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