Pedal with the 'Riding School Bus' Starting Monday

The weather may not be great, but students are encouraged to ride bicycles to school as part of the annual "Riding School Bus" week.

The and the sponsor the initiative.

Ocean City's Council for Physical Fitness and Sports created the event three years ago to promote not only fitness but bike safety. Teachers and parents will be riding with the students as well. 

The fourth and fifth grades had an informational assembly about the event on Friday, May 13.

Maura Twiggs, an eighth-grade student, created a video from photos of last year's Riding School Bus. Along with the video, a demonstrator brought a watermelon and asked for two volunteers to join him in the front of the gym. The one student was represented by the watermelon and wore his helmet to school, while the other wore no helmet. When the watermelon was thrown to the floor and smashed, students got a vivid reminder that helmets save lives.

"The event promotes bike riding to incorporate exercise into the day. It also teaches bike safety," said Jesse Parker, a physical fitness teacher at the Intermediate School. 

Two meeting locations have been selected. The north end students will meet at First Street and Boardwalk and continue to 18th Street. They will leave the boardwalk and ride down to Haven Ave & 15th and enter through the school's back doors.

South end students will meet at 34th and Haven Avenue and continue on until they reach the school. Both will depart at 7:10 a.m. A returning trip will take the same route and will leave the school at 2:40 p.m. Students must preregister and wear a helmet to participate.

To make the event more exciting, the students who ride the most will win a free bike; one for a boy, and one for a girl.