Mount Vernon Mayor, school district superintendent join bike club students for a ride
Ava Ronning, Skagit Valley Herald, August 13, 2025 – View article on GoSkagit.com
MOUNT VERNON — Mount Vernon Mayor Peter Donovan and Mount Vernon School District Superintendent Victor Vergara accompanied Children of the Valley Bike Club students on their final ride of the season Wednesday.
The club, formed in partnership with the Cascade Bicycle Club, is Children of the Valley’s first middle school program.
It was designed to teach children to ride bikes so they can get around town, get exercise and make friends. The club’s long-term goals are to encourage the use of bikes and public transportation.
The club started in late January.
Each week, the group met Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Sessions began with time for students to do their homework, then moved into discussions about bike safety before students got on their bikes.
Program Director Abi Ruksznis said it was special to see Donovan and Vergara go on a ride with the students and experience the program firsthand.
Ruksznis said the program has received a lot of community support.
She said being able to see friendships grow was the most rewarding part of the club’s first year, especially because some students have limited access to transportation or opportunities to socialize in the summer.
Substitute Site Coordinator Melissa Alonso said it was remarkable to see how quickly the students learned new skills.
The club’s first season will end with a celebration at 5 p.m. Thursday where parents can see the presentations their children made.
Fourteen students from the original group of 15 will be awarded their own bikes to keep.