'Star Wars' themed bicycle event Saturday to benefit Carson City Schools Foundation

CARSON CITY — Set for Saturday, May 4, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, at Fritsch Elementary School, the Bicycle Fun & Safety Day will benefit the Carson City Schools Foundation. Sponsored by Carson Tahoe Health and hosted by the Carson City School District, the Nevada Department of Transportation, Safe Routes to School, local bike clubs and shops, the inaugural event will serve as a proving ground to acquaint experienced and less experienced bike riders with their eco-friendly transport mechanisms.

The event will offer a bicycle safety rodeo — with many fun and informative bicycle challenges, bike safety checks and roadworthiness inspections, guided fun rides and free helmets to the first 300 participants who need them.

Also, it’s an official unofficial intergalactic holiday, May the Fourth. Known as "Star Wars Day," the fan blowout is a pun play on the saga's iconic "May the Force be with you" line, which has pretty much served as a mantra/battle cry for diehards since George Lucas introduced it in 1977.

On this day in Carson City, however, instead of blowing up the Death Star or waging an attack on Starkiller Base to save countless planets from destruction, concourses of adolescent Rebel Troops and young Jedi will marshal their forces on two-wheeled “Tauntauns” for guided fun rides and a bicycle safety rodeo.

There will also be a “May The Fourth Ride With You” costume contest for individuals who dress themselves or their bicycles in a Star Wars theme. However, for safety purposes, event organizers strongly recommend bike riders make conscience considerations in their attire. Masks should never be worn while riding a bike, and any loose or dangling clothing material is discouraged as it poses significant risk of being tangled in the chain.

Registration for the event will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 4. All participants must sign a waiver form to attend the event. Go here for the form. Families are encouraged to print and fill out the waiver prior to arrival at Fritsch Elementary School. Event organizers are encouraging a $5 per person or $20 per family donation be made to benefit the Carson City Schools Foundation. Pre-payment is available at CCSchoolsfoundation.org by going here.

Any business or organization that would like to register as a vendor and have a dedicated space to set up a booth at the event, will need to provide a raffle prize or $50 registration fee. Volunteers are still needed for this event. To register as a volunteer, please click here.

Bike helmets will be mandatory to participate in the bike rides. All riders under the age of 18 must have a parent or guardian sign the waiver form and remain at the event. Any riders under the age of 10 must be accompanied by an adult throughout the ride(s).

About the Carson City Schools Foundation
The Carson City Schools Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting community involvement and investment in the public schools of Carson City. This project is one of the many results of the “Empower Carson City 2022″ Strategic Plan, a five-year strategic plan for extraordinary schools built by the community of Carson City.

CCSF was created to increase student achievement through philanthropic investment and involvement. Established by the Carson City School District’s Board of Trustees, the foundation promotes education programs that traditional funding sources may not be able to reach.

For more information about the CCSF, please visit ccschoolsfoundation.org. To make a contribution with your credit card, go to ccschoolsfoundation.org/campaigns/donations/.

You can also click here to watch a YouTube video about the foundation.