EATON — On Saturday, June 25, Friends of Preble County 4-H hosted its 18th Annual Buckeye Bridge Ride.
The bicycle ride, open to all ages, began at the Eaton Schools Athletic & Wellness Center and took riders around the county to visit up to five of Preble’s eight historic covered bridges.
According to Harold Niehaus of Friends of 4-H, approximately 70 people preregistered for the event and more were coming in. Niehaus estimated well over 100 people would participate in the rides.
“We actually had registrations from five other states,” Niehaus said. “We’ve had five other states represented besides just Ohio.”
Riders from Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Arkansas, and Maryland came to participate in the event which offered three different routes to riders — 27, 41 and 53-mile rides. The routes offered scenic countryside and the covered bridges in the Gratis, Lewisburg, and Eaton area.
For anyone who did not want to participate in a long ride, a mile and a half family ride through Eaton’s Fort St. Clair Park was offered. This was ideal for families with small children, according to organizers.
All the proceeds from the ride benefit the local 4-H activities and events, including 4-H camp scholarships, Leadership Camp, camp supplies and more.
All routes included a “Stop and Go” station where the riders could stop and refresh before continuing their journey. The SAGs held bottled water and snacks ranging from fruit to cookies, depending on what the riders preferred. The SAGs also offered the riders homemade buckeyes to keep with the theme of the ride.
