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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Robinwood Lane student, Alaura Malich, received a helmet and Dairy Queen gift card from Sgt. Chuck Hillman and Nancy Hildebrand both of the Boardman Optimist Club for her bike safety poster she made.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Ben Wang, first place winner of the bike safety contest, rode his new bike around the Robinwood Lane Elementary Gym.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Ben Wang was the first place winner at Robinwood Lane Elementary of the bike safety poster and won a bike and helmet. Pictured are, from left, (front) Eddy Wang and Ben Wang; (back) Nancy Hildebrand and Sgt. Chuck Hillman.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Drew Caputo won the runner-up position at St. Charles for the bike safety poster contest and received a helment and a gift card from Boardman Optimist Club members Nancy Hildebrand, Chester Horlick and Sgt. Charles Hillman.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Isabella Thornton won first place at St. Charles for the bike safety poster contest and received a bike and helmet from Nancy Heldebrand, Chester Horlick and Sgt. Charles Hillman of the Boardman Optimist Club.
By ALEXIS BARTOLOMUCCI
Boardman fourth-grade students were rewarded for their creativity when it came to bike safety.
The Boardman Optimist Club created a contest for all of the Boardman elementary students in the fourth-grade. The students had the opportunity to create a poster about bike safety.
A girl and a boy from each elementary school were chosen as winners. Ben Wang from Robinwood Lane Elementary was the boy winner overall and Isabella Thornton from St. Charles received first place overall for the girls.
“We sent poster boards out to be given to fourth-graders who wanted to participate,” said Nancy Hildebrand, member of Boardman Optimist Club.
The runner-ups received a helmet and Dairy Queen gift card and the overall winners won a bike and a helmet. Wang, who won for Robinwood, never had a bike before so winning this and receiving a bike was special for him.
“Fourth, fifth and sixth grade is when a lot of kids start riding their bikes on the road and in the neighborhood,” said Sgt. Charles Hillman, Boardman Optimist Club president.
This is the time when students are riding their bikes without adults, whether it be alone or with friends, so they need to acknowledge how to stay safe. Students are encouraged to wear helmets, make sure they are aware of their surroundings and know how to keep themselves safe.
This is the first year the Boardman Optimist Club has offered the contest and they hope to continue the contest to help promote bike safety.
“The Optimist Club is here to help youth in the community,” said Chester Horlick, member of the Boardman Optimist Club.
The Boardman Optimist Club organizes several activities throughout the year to help out the community.