Safety will be the top priority when the Ames Police Department teams up with the Ames Boys and Girls Club for their annual bike rodeo.

The bike rodeo is sponsored by Lowe’s of Ames, 120 Airport Road.

“The police department’s goal is to make all the kids aware that safety is the most important thing while riding,” said Tom Shelton, community resource officer for the Ames Police Department.

The rodeo will take place on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Ames Boys and Girls Club.

He said The Skunk River Bicycling Company and Bike World will be there to inspect the safety of each child’s bike.

Activities for the day will include a video on bicycle safety, followed by a skills test for correcting improper bike-riding habits, he said.

Shelton said he provides a list of skills for the test that he hopes will improve the children’s basic riding abilities. The list includes balancing at a slow speed, breaking, steering, signaling, riding in a circle and maneuvering.

He said after the skills test, the children will take part in an obstacle course to practice their new skills.

A picnic is also part of the day’s events and prizes will be awarded.

“We’re hitting bike safety as the prize issue,” said Marty Lester, program director of the Ames Boys and Girls Club.

He said the bike rodeo is a way to fulfill the club’s mission statement, which is “to inspire and enable young people of Story County to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.”

“We provide positive guidance for youth between the ages of 7 and 18,” Lester said.

He said he expects 100 to 125 people to attend the bike rodeo, including volunteers. Attendance will be limited to 75 children.