Mitchell police officer helps organize bike rodeo to open First Fridays

Luke Hagen, The Daily Republic, Mitchell, S.D.
Updated ·2 min read

Apr. 25—MITCHELL — It's time to bring out the bikes when summer comes rolling in. And Mitchell police officer Austin Van Horn is helping kids do just that.

Van Horn and Mitchell Main Street and Beyond are bringing a bike rodeo to the opening First Fridays event of the year. Beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 3 on Mitchell's Main Street, kids ages 3 to 10 can enjoy a bicycle rodeo to learn safety, use an obstacle course and get tips for how to ride. Participants need to bring their bicycles.

Van Horn, a Sioux Falls native and three-year officer with the Mitchell Police Department, began organizing the event just eight weeks ago.

"The only time the community sees us is when something bad is going on most of the time," Van Horn said. "Letting these kids and these families know that there's this good side of us as well and we're not all negative is really important."

Nearly 40 volunteers from differing businesses and organizations around town will be helping kids at the bike rodeo. Bicycle locks will be given away and there are 75 helmets to be handed out on a first-come, first-serve basis to kids who need them.

Local law enforcement officers will be on scene for meet-and-greets, and 12 bikes of varying sizes will be given away as special prizes.

"Bike rodeos are a national idea," Van Horn said. "There are a couple law enforcement agencies in South Dakota that have done them, so I spoke with them to get their ideas and went off the national guidelines to do what we're doing. And this works out really well since it's right before kids get out of school."

As First Fridays kicks off again next week, this is the 10th year of a monthly summer event for Mitchell. First Fridays, organized by Mitchell Main Street and Beyond, has been around since 2018, but the event was held on Thursdays in the summer for three years prior.

There will also be bicycle registration for anyone in case a bike is stolen or lost, and minor bike tune-ups will be available on site. In case of inclement weather, the event will be postponed to a later date. Food and snacks will also be available.

"We want parents to come out, too," Van Horn said. "We're doing the bike rodeo and then right afterward, all of Main Street is going to be filled up with firetrucks, ambulances, and law enforcement cars. We want that family interaction. We want to get that meet-and-greet out with these kids so they can see us in a positive way."