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The Chattahoochee Council of Scouting America is hosting a Bike Rodeo at Southbend Park in LaGrange in April to promote bike safety and scouting.

The fun and informative event aims to help kids learn the rules of cycling and introduce them to scouting.

The free event is being run by scouts in the George H Lanier District of the Chattahoochee Council, which serves Troup, Harris, Meriwether, Heard and Talbot counties in Georgia.

“It’s a public recruiting event. We’re hoping to promote more scouting, get the kids into the event and try to get them signed up to be Scout members as well,” said Hillary Corbitt, who serves as Cub leader for her pack that meets at New Community Church in LaGrange.

Corbitt said bike stations will be set up to discuss bike safety, bike trail rules and do minor bike repairs.

Families are asked to bring their own bikes and helmets. There will be stations to make sure the kids have the right fitted helmets and do adjustments to bikes, along with minor repairs like pumping flat tires.

There will also be fun stuff like a license plate decorating station and a bike wash area where they can just rinse off their bike.

The children will then have the opportunity to take a guided bike ride on the Thread trail surrounding the park.

“There will be a station to talk about bike safety and bike trail rules, such as hand signals, watching out for other cyclists, reading and knowing the signs on the road,” Corbitt said. “We’re going to have an obstacle course as well, so they can go through a snake of diagonal cones before the actual ride around the park.”

Corbitt said they will guide different age groups around the Thread Trail surrounding the park.

“We’re going to have a first aid station because those minor scrapes and Boo Boos could possibly happen. We’ll be prepared for that as well,” she said.

Scouting America is the new name for Boy Scouts of America, which changed its name after the club began allowing female scouts.

“We’re going to teach some bike safety but it’s also to promote scouting. We will have a recruitment table. So if they want to come and sign up to join a pack or a troop, then they are welcome to do so. We’ll have info from local packs on what days they meet, what times they meet and stuff like that. That way we can find something for a family that will fit their schedule,” Corbitt said.

The Bike Rodeo will be held on April 5 from 10 a.m. to noon at Southbend Park in LaGrange.