Read, bike, run

With all the different fun runs and rides out there, it can be easy to forget some in the bunch. Instead of simply enjoying an evening of exercise and drinks with friends, why not raise awareness for an important issue? This weekend marks the Reach Out and Read Iowa’s inaugural run and ride of “READ BIKE RUN: On the Trail for Literacy” in Windsor Heights.

READ BIKE RUN: On the Trail for Literacy will take place on Friday, Aug. 7 at 6 p.m. north of Colby Park Pavillion.

“The event is really geared toward all ages, especially families, bicyclists and runners,” said Molly Olinger Topf, coalition leader.

The event is in partnership with Windsor Heights, as the city launches its Free Little Library program at Colby Park. It features a family ride or walk and storytellers on the Colby Park Pavilion. The evening also includes face painting, giveaways, free “Blender Bike” experience and samples, storytellers and music. The night will conclude with the final Windsor Heights 2015 Summer Movie Night Series, “Alexander and The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.”

Activities before the ride include the Family Fun Ride/Walk and Blender Bike experience, in which people will blend their own fruity drinks while riding a bike, said Topf.

A triathlon of a different sort, the 20K bike ride will actually start before the 5K, which will immediately follow. The 20K ride will use the trail system, with the turnaround at Confluence Brewery, which is just off the Meredith Trail, south of Gray’s Lake. The 5K will begin on the Colby Park Trail west of the Pavilion and go 1.6 miles to turn around at the Soccer West fields.

“Dogs are allowed on the Family Fun Ride and Walk, which is from the Colby Park Pavillion to the Windsor Heights Dog Park and back,” Topf said.

For those unfamiliar, the Reach Out and Read program addresses the issue of school-readiness in children’s earliest years and targets children and families that need to hear the important message of reading to your child, starting early at 6 months through 5 years of age. There are many literacy programs that promote reading to children, however, Reach Out and Read is the most widely studied and disseminated model of literacy promotion in the child’s medical home. Providing books at pediatric primary care visits to families at economic and social risk, encourages parents to read aloud with their children and has a powerful effect on the home environment of young children.

“We hope that participants and families take away the importance of making reading with their children for just 20 minutes a day a priority,” Topf said. “And, especially for parents of very small children, that they realize how important reading with their young child is. In reading a book with just 50 words, they can expose their child to 500 words with the dialogue that can take place surrounding the pages and story that is being read.” CV

READ BIKE RUN: On the Trail for Literacy
Friday, Aug. 7 at 6 p.m. Meeting spot: North
of Colby Park Pavillion.
Register day-of for ride/walk at 5:30 p.m.
$20 bike ride or 5K run