In June, Lighthouse Recreation was stoked to bring Friday Bike Nights to the Lions Bike Park. As with any event, the ins and outs of this series was a journey. Back in 2023 the Lions Bike Park was born. Residing in Qualicum Bay, the park sits directly behind the Lions Hall and adjacent to a ball field and playground. It’s a special facility that can be intimidating and we wanted to change that. We started with bikes. Bikes that can handle anything in their path. Thanks to our friends at Coal City Cycles and Marin Bikes, we secured six shiny bikes of multiple sizes for kids of all ages, hint hint parents, to try. Next came typical event structure, as in tents, music, and grub. Well turns out on Fridays, the Lions run a concession stand with amazing treats like hotdogs and burgers. Riding bikes makes you hungry, so we thought, why not provide a hot dog for every kid in the park on Friday nights. So we reached out to our friends at Tomm’s Food Village and Bowser First Credit Union. They made sure we had enough to feed these kids and supply some refreshments. First Credit Union even brought out some candy bags. Trick or treating could be a whole new thing with bike jumps! Each Friday Bubbie’s Bikes from Coombs was out with pumps and wrenches making sure everyone’s bike was rolling smoothly. Of course the Rec Tent was set up as a base camp with music and cool drinks. We wanted to create an encouraging and inclusive experience at the bike park, and we did. Kids of all ages and abilities progressed from green line to blue line. The Rec bikes were being used to build confidence and in some instances, to remember that biking is fun! On Fridays we saw our community grow and we can’t wait to host our next bike sessions series. Thanks to all those who supported the event by coming out or by spreading the word. And a very special thanks to our friends at Tomm’s Food Village and Bowser First Credit Union.