Junior Tour de Naperville
125 kids brought their bikes and other wheeled rides for the eighth annual Junior Tour de Naperville.
“The Junior Tour de Naperville was started with the 100th anniversary of the actual Tour de France, so we kicked in on that. And it is an event for children ages three to 12 years old. We have different age groups throughout the event that we stage for the race,” said Fred Gusel, program manager at the Naperville Park District. “It’s just a fun race for the kids to come out, enjoy themselves, enjoy the park, good family time. A lot of times we’ll have parents jogging besides their children once the race gets kicked off. Just again, the whole focus is on fun and family.”
This year due to COVID, the kids were split into three groups at staggered times based on their age. The track is one and a quarter mile long, with a shortcut for the little ones to make a three quarters of a mile ride.
“This program is just – so many smiling faces, you see all these kids excited to be out and doing things again. We’re really pushing our outdoor programs right now because it’s the comfort level of the community,” said Gusel.
Fun Way to End Summer
“It’s a tradition for some, it’s the end of summer for the others because school starts next week for a lot of these children,” said Gusel. “So it’s just kind of a way to finish out the summer in a fun experience here with the Naperville Park District.
Naperville News 17’s Aysha Ashley Househ reports.
