Week promotes physical fitness
Published May 5, 2006
Five years ago, Mayor Darwin Hindman didn't think Columbia residents were getting out and getting active enough. So he decided to do something about it and starting Bike, Walk and Wheel Week.
"At first it was one day a week for a year," Hindman said. "But we just realized that was an unrealistic challenge."
Event coordinator Judy Knudson has worked on Bike, Walk and Wheel Week since it began. She said it is something Hindman really cares about.
"This is sort of his baby from the beginning," she said. "We played around with it, and it became the mayor's challenge. So this has really become his thing to challenge people to get out and walk and bike places instead of driving."
Knudson said that every year the honorary chairperson is someone in the public eye who has made important contributions to issues the event tries to emphasize. Past honorary chairpersons have included U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Mo. This year's chairman is Sen. Chuck Graham, D-Columbia.
"Senator Graham is a good person to represent us as he is strongly supportive on many of these issues," Knudson said. "Like many of us, he is very concerned about safety and accessibility whether on foot, a bicycle or in a wheelchair."
According to a news release from the city, there are five main goals of Bike, Walk and Wheel Week. These goals include encouraging walking, biking and wheeling to destinations instead of driving and increasing awareness of the importance of physical activity and improved pedestrian safety. Other aims are to promote healthy and pedestrian communities and to mobilize communities to create safer routes for pedestrians.
The annual event will be held from May 6-13. Many events occur during this week, but the main event is on May 12.
"Friday is the signature event — Bike, Walk and Wheel Day — when there will be 11 breakfast stations around town where people who arrive on their own power get free breakfast," Knudson said. "This year we have radio stations doing live broadcasts from two different breakfast stations."
Knudson said sponsors of the event will be providing breakfast at each location. Pednet, an organization devoted to promoting safety and accessibility for pedestrians, listed sponsors on their Web site. These sponsors include Panera Bread Company, Columbia College and Kelani Salon & Spa.
Another event is called Cycle-Recycle, in which donated bikes that have been refurbished will be handed out for free to members of the community who sign up. Cycle-Recycle organizer Amahia Mallea said they hoped to have around 100 bikes to give out at the event at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Columbia/Boone County Health Department.
"I'd say we have maybe 85 or 90 right now," Mallea said. "We still have some to take in. Some people have vouchers for a bike because we work with community centers. But basically, if someone wants a bike, they just show up and sign up. It's first come first serve. The earliest to register get the first pick."
Mallea said more than half the bikes are kids' bikes, and the owners of the new bikes will be invited to a community bike ride after the event. She said the SAFEKIDS Coalition will be handing out free bike helmets at the event as well.
— News editor Sarah D. Wire contributed to
this report.