By Carroll Devine
The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
COVINGTON, La. — The public is invited to Covington ‘s Fire Department District 12 Bike-a-Thon and Spring Into Safety Fair on May 17.
The event, a community outreach program of the fire department that combines safety education and fun, consists of two distinct parts and will take place at two different stations, said Genevieve Cancienne, the district’s public relations director.
The first is a family bike-a-thon, which begins at 8 a.m. at the North Park Station, located on North Park Boulevard just off U.S. 190, Cancienne said.
“North Park Station has a place where people can ride safely,” she said. “Bicyclists will be doing laps in a big loop around the station. Crescent City Cyclists, who also help with the MS Tour, will come out to help us.”
Riders can register as individuals or as a group and are encouraged to decorate their bicycles using a fire prevention theme such as a fire truck or rescue vehicle.
Participants may choose to bring in sponsorships for their laps and compete for a prize for the most donations, which will given to a local charity, Cancienne said, though sponsorships are not a requirement. Sponsor sheet will be available at Station 124.
Laps end at 10 a.m. when winners will be announced and prizes given, including ones for riding the most laps and for the most originally decorated bicycle, Cancienne said. For the bike-a-thon, children younger than 8 must be accompanied by an adult, and all riders must wear helmets.
The Fire District is committed not only to putting out fires, but also to community education about safety, Cancienne said, so, “After the riders cool down they can head out to Station 124, for the Spring Into Safety Fair, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.,” she said. It’s at the corner of Louisiana 21 and 36. “The two separate areas are perfect for what we’re doing at each one,” Cancienne said.
During the second segment, children will get close-up lessons in household and fire safety while they tour the Safety House, a simulation of a real house.
“It has a kitchen and living room area with a working stove so we can teach them how to prevent accidents in the kitchen and learn fireplace safety. There’s also a phone in the trailer that an operator answers so we can teach them what to say to a 911 operator.”
The TV clicks on and gives a tornado or flood warning. The Safety House is an experience useful for all children, Cancienne said.
“You can teach a kid fire safety from age 3 and up.” Even teenagers enjoy taking part and often ask questions, she said.
Other parts of the program include booths where participants can check their blood pressure and where someone from the Parenting Center will check car seats for their safety. St. Tammany Association for Retarded Citizens will be doing early childhood assessments. All the screenings are free.
Youngsters can also take advantage of the opportunity to climb on fire trucks and on the rock climbing wall, find their way in the inflatable maze and enjoy the birdhouse painting booth, Cancienne said. And for an extra treat, Audubon Zoo will have its zoomobile on site. “They’ll have swamp animals and others for the kids to touch and learn about,” she said.
Complimentary food and drinks will be provided, and live music will be provided by The Fuzzy Dice, a rockabilly group.
Though this is the first year for the bike-a-thon, the popular fair, which began in 2000, has enjoyed a great deal of success. In previous years it was held in July, but was moved to May this year. “There are so many accidents in the summer,” Cancienne said.
“All the parties we do for the community are aimed at safety education,” she said. “We wanted to teach kids outdoor safety before summer starts.”
Copyright 2008 The Times-Picayune Publishing Company