San Jose bike rodeo help needed

Last spring, Dave, I, John Brazil and some other people made a stink about Noddin Elementary School's bike ban in San Jose, California. The school administration agreed to lift the ban after "Streets Smarts" safety instruction and a bike rodeo.

The Bike Rodeo is coming up on Saturday, October 10, and the organizer Tara Jones, has no volunteers yet. She needs six to eight volunteers at Noddin Elementary School. Her plea for help is posted below. If you think you can help, please contact me and I'll forward her email address to you. Her phone number is also posted in her note. Noddin Elementary is located at 1755 Gilda Way, San Jose, CA. This is just off of Blossom Hill Road between Camdem Avenue and Union Avenue.

I have a Bicycle Roadeo schedule for Oct. 10, 2009 from 8:30am-2p.m., and yes, that is a Saturday. I have put an email out to my usual volunteer list, and have had NO OFFERS. I am down to two weeks before the event, an I'm starting to panic. I need at least 6-8 volunteers and have one possible. The great thing about this particular Roadeo is that we had heard the Principal at this school, Noddin Elementary, would not allow any students to ride their bikes to school, because she had deemed it unsafe. She agreed to a sit down meeting with me to see what Street Smarts and DOT had to offer. When I explained everything, she agreed to a helmet giveaway, series of safety presentations, and a Bicycle Roadeo; students will now be allowed to ride to and from school.

If you or ANYONE you can think of would be so kind as to help me out, it would be so appreciated!!! If you're not familiar with a Roadeo, there will be four stations that groups of kids at a time will go through, and each station teaches a simple safety technique. For example, there is a station to learn avoiding objects in the street, or learning to check over your shoulder for cars. It's fun, and very rewarding. It just is impossible without help! So again, if you know any bike enthusiasts, people who need community service hours, or if you're bored, please let me know!! Thanks in advance.

p.s. we will probably pack up way before 2pm! And I'll provide lunch!

Tara Jones
School Safety Education Coordinator
Department of Transportation
City of San Jose
200 East Santa Clara Street
San Jose, Ca. 95113
(408) 975-3296