A new spin on old-fashioned fun
by Melanie Jongsma
LANSING, Ill. (March 1, 2018) – He’s been wanting it for years, and this is the year it’s going to happen. Legion Rider Kevin Engelbrecht, with the help of Ron Lively, is bringing a Kids Bike Show to Lansing.
Engelbrecht grew up in Lansing, and he remembers the annual tradition the kids in his neighborhood all participated in each spring—getting their bikes ready to ride. After a long winter in the garage or shed, the bikes needed some attention. Tires might need patching, chains might need greasing, and last summer’s mud would need washing off.
Fellow Legion Riders Nick and Patty Grigutis understand both the nostalgia of bicycle-riding and the importance of neighborhood traditions. Together with Engelbrecht, they are planning the Kids Bike Show to re-ignite the old get-the-bikes-ready tradition and put a new spin on it.
The Kids Bike Show they have scheduled for May 5 will provide a forum for Lansing kids to clean up, decorate, and enhance their bikes—with the hope of winning cash prizes. “We want them to use their imaginations and be creative,” said Nick.
“May 5 is also the Good Neighbor Parade,” he added, “and we thought this might be a way to promote being a good neighbor.”
There will be three age brackets—age 5 and younger, ages 6–10, and ages 11–15. A boy and a girl winner will be chosen in each bracket and awarded a $25 prize.
A “Best in Show” bike will also be chosen. That winner will receive $100, and he or she will choose a charity to receive a second $100 donation from the Legion Riders.
More details will be publicized later, but the Legion Riders wanted to give kids plenty of time to start thinking about their entries. “Decorate and be creative,” said Patty.
For more information or to pre-register your child, email the Legion Riders: [email protected]. Or call Ron Lively: 708-653-2687.
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