Tracks on the Trail

Saco youth campers use Eastern Trail to kick off bicycle fundraiser

By LIZ GOTTHELF, Staff Writer

Wednesday, July 25, 2012 12:06 PM EDT

SACO — On Tuesday morning, about 300 children in the city’s summer park and recreation camps, along with 90 staff members, all in bright yellow and pink shirts, crowded onto the John R. Andrews Eastern Trail pedestrian bridge. Cars honked as they passed below on Route 1.

The “kid mob” was a kick-off for the Saco Bikes for Kids campaign, a local effort to raise money for 25 bicycles and helmets for the city’s recreation program in its summer camps and after-school programs.

The effort is a way to promote the Eastern Trail, particularly among youth, and create enthusiasm for healthy lifestyles, said campaign organizers.

In honor of the city’s 250th anniversary, organizers are asking for donations from private individuals and local businesses in the amount of $2.50, $25 and $250. The goal is to raise $7,500 by September, said Justin Chenette, one of the campaign organizers.

Eastern Trail Alliance President and Saco City Planner Bob Hamblen said he had the idea to acquire bicycles for the city, after a similar program was initiated at Kennebunk Elementary School.

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