Fun times at the Cycle Oregon Weekend Kids Camp
Wet tents, soggy shoes and a 1/2 an inch of rain did not deter 78 kids from riding with us in Salem a few weekends ago. This summer marked our third year offering Kids Camp through the Cycle Oregon Weekend Ride, a family focused off-shoot of Cycle Oregon. The Weekend Ride took place on the Willamette University Campus with the mainstage and entertainment taking place on the Capitol lawn. At Kids Camp, youth ages 4 to 13 had an opportunity to ride with friends in the Scoot, Scavenger Hunt and Group Riding camps.
A major highlight of the weekend was our Family Bike Parade on Saturday evening. Around 30 families joined us for bike decorating fun, where we outfitted paraders with bike bells and festive ribbons. The group gathered up for a quick safety check then the parade began, making its way through the Willamette University campus and onto the Capitol lawn. Five of the campers had an opportunity to join Alison Graves, our Executive Director, and Kim Whitney, our Youth Program Manager, on the mainstage to share their experiences. One camper, Abby, said that her favorite part of camp was the special tour of the Capitol where they got to climb to the very top of the building.
Our amazing staff of 9 instructors and 5 volunteers had a blast and did a wonderful job of ensuring that the kids had a great time, despite the rainy conditions. The kids had smiles on their faces the entire time, and many didn’t want to leave at the end of the day.
On Sunday, the groups spent much of the day avoiding the rain. The Scavenger Hunt group finally got its chance to get outside when the rain let up a little bit. They took a short ride, and finished like all the other riders by crossing the Cycle Oregon finish line, complete with a cheering section. Six year-old Sophia had a smile a mile wide saying that, “This is the BEST day ever!”