17 Years of Bike Rodeo with Stratford Rotary and South End Community Center
Stratford Rotary Club hosted the 17th South End Community Center (SECC) Bike Rodeo on Tuesday, July 16th
Stratford Rotary Club president Harold Watson instructed the children on how to safely ride their bikes, to properly follow the rules, and made sure they understand helmet safety. Stratford Rotary, which has been on board for 17 years, has given participants bike bells, bike lights, helmets, bikes, and bike locks. Rotary gifts this year included bike locks to all SECC day campers, and Stratford Housatonic Greenway day-glow wristbands to all participants.
Bike Patrol officers provided safety on the first SECC off-site group ride of 14 summer day-campers. Greenway Members and Rotarians Jim Simon, Chris Green and Harold Watson participated as ‘ride alongs’. Mayor Hoydick, MetroCog grant writer Molly Ryan and Assistant Director of Community & Senior Services Chelsea Kordiak supported Bike Patrol Officers participation.
Artay Kradnock, owner of The Gap Tooth Kid, contributed a water slide and ice cream along with purchasing two bikes. He was once an employee of the SECC and a great South End example of Service over Self.
Special Thanks to Rotarian Event Chair Elizabeth Shea (who has taken over as chair after many years headed by Fran Sinish). Thanks to Rotarians Paul Tavares, Judge Max Rosenburg, and Councilman Alvin O’Neil, part of a dozen plus Rotarians in attendance to prepare the hot lunch. Sterling House provided drinks, hot dogs and buns.
Several children who did not have bikes were given bikes. After 16 years, the Bike Rodeo participants have grown, and this year, for the first time, there were a dozen.
There are 35 children in the Summer Camp program with LITs, or Leaders in Training (youth ages 13-15 who attend Stratford High, Bunnell High and Notre Dame).
“LITs work alongside camp staff to implement, assist and support our work of building leaders. Having the LITs in the program also helps us foster positive relationships between high school students. It also creates an opportunity for our campers to see young people from their neighborhood as staff and LITs working to support them in reading and math, engaging them and teaching them during the summer,” said Tymatha (Ty) Sims, Program Coordinator of the South End Community Center.
Leaders in Training have had 24 hours of training before the program. They help with lesson plans, field trips, and day-to-day activities. After summer camp is over, they are evaluated and given a small stipend.
The annual SECC Bike Rodeo honors and memorializes Kevonna Edwards, a CARE (Citizens Addressing Racial Equity) Counselor who worked in after-school programs at the South End Community Center. In 2007, Kevonna, who was a Bunnell student, died tragically in a car accident.
A decision was made by Ty Sims and Alec Voccola, who was with the police emergency service and whose son was a friend of Kevonna, to do a Bike Safety Rodeo for summer camp students that would connect with community leaders. The Bike Safety Rodeo fits Kevonna’s memory, as she loved teaching and always stressed safety. Heartfelt thanks to Ty Simms—her years of dedication on the SECC Bike Rodeo have continued to make it a summer highlight of the South End Community Center.
