200 Parramore Youth Receive Donated Bicycles for Parramore Kidz Zone Pedaling 4 Pride 3rd Annual Bicycle Ride
WHAT: Sponsors have come together to make it possible for 200 Parramore youth to receive free bicycles for this year’s 3rd annual Parramore Kidz Zone (PKZ) Pedaling 4 Pride Bike Ride. AirTran Airways, Target, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office donated the bicycles after 80 bicycles originally donated for the event were stolen in September. The sponsors have made it possible for parents, children, and the entire community to take part in this community bicycle ride. The sponsors will be presenting the bicycles to the youth at 3:30 p.m. at the Orlando Downtown Recreation Complex on Thursday, October 22, 2009.
The 3rd annual PKZ Pedaling 4 Pride Bike Ride, which will take place on Saturday, October 24, will begin at the John H. Jackson Community Center and travel to Loch Haven Park. The event, hosted by PKZ and Get Active Orlando, educates children how to safely navigate the neighborhood on their bikes in real life traffic conditions. This year’s PKZ Pedaling 4 Pride is one of six “bike buses” traveling to the City of Orlando’s Loch Haven Park for the Central Florida Veg Fest. As part of the 350.org International Day of Climate Action on October 24, Florida Bicycle Association is leading bike buses from various starting points within Orlando to demonstrate how human power can replace fossil fuel and help cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Designated a Bicycle Friendly Community since 2000, Orlando promotes bicycling as a form of transportation by incorporating complete streets policies to make roads safe and accessible to all users; giving away locks, lights, helmets and reconditioned bikes; starting the Pedaling 4 Pride bike ride with PKZ and working directly with the Orlando Police Department to provide education, safety training and enforcement for bicycling.
WHO: Bob Fornaro, Chairman, President and C.E.O of AirTran Airways
Parramore Kidz Zone
Community Concepts Services, Inc. (CCSI)
Get Active Orlando
Target
Orange County Sheriff’s Office
Orlando Police Department
City of Orlando’s Families, Parks and Recreation
Orlando residents
WHEN: Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 3:30 p.m.
WHERE: Orlando Downtown Recreation Complex
649 W. Livingston Street
BACKGROUND:
Modeled after the Harlem Children’s Zone, Parramore Kidz Zone launched by Mayor Dyer in 2006, employs creative outreach to engage a critical mass of Parramore’s children and linking them to positive opportunities, including pre-kindergarten education, parenting education, health care, mentoring, tutoring, and constructive activities when school is out.
PKZ Pedaling for Pride was created by Community Concepts Services, Inc. (CCSI) and Get Active Orlando. CCSI is one of many community partners who have received grants under the PKZ project, and administers intervention and outreach life skills development services for families. Get Active Orlando brings together a multi-disciplinary team to create and promote environments that make it safe and convenient for people to be more physically active.
