Bikers, walkers celebrate Earth Day
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POLSON — Families were biking together; friends walked the path; and moms and dads pushed strollers as older children broke out their bikes on the bike path from Polson to Ronan for Earth Day Walk and Roll.
The fourth annual bike path appreciation day held in conjunction with Earth Day for Mission Valley communities was a “Healthy Earth, Healthy Me” event and was organized by Margene Asay, Tribal Health and Education, Janet Sucha and Jennifer Rolfness, Ronan Parks and Recreation Director.
Check stations along the way provided stamps on passports, and three stamps enabled a walker, biker or scooter to a free lunch held outside in the sunshine at the Joe McDonald Health and Fitness Center on the Salish Kootenai College campus.
Lunch, made from local organic ingredients, was a sirloin, purple barley and vegetable soup made by Cheri Houle, served by Allison Grant and Aaron Bennett, and funded by Ronan Safe Routes to School. St. Joseph’s Medical Center donated brownies, and St. Luke’s Hospital bought the apples.
Frank Sucha and Andrew Graham and their crew were repairing bikes in the SKC gym parking lot. Sucha’s wife volunteered him; and Graham, from Bozeman, was just home for the weekend and decided to help out. The two men had been busy throughout the event, which went from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and kids who needed a chain put back on or a seat adjusted appreciated the help.
Asay steered kids through the bike course and provided bike safety tips, too.
More than 200 free bike helmets were given away and 30 recycled bikes were provided for kids who didn’t have a bike, according to Rolfness. More helmets and bikes could have been used, but the supplies ran out quickly. Rolfness estimated about 320 people attended, and she was happy to see so many families out enjoying the sunshine and getting exercise.
“It’s just awesome,” she said.
Although this is the earliest the event has been held, the weather cooperated and was sunny.
Bike riders MaryRose Gardipe, 6, and Bobby Martinez, 7, enjoyed the day as they rode along the path with family members.
In fact, Bobby said they had been riding “for hours” although they were just past Courville Trail and had ridden from SKC.
