RIDERS READY!

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins’ “Put A Lid On It!” bike helmet program is encouraging kids to participate in two great local bike races this weekend.

Friday’s inaugural Zeeland Criterium will kick off with a 6 p.m. kids’ race, while Saturday’s Herman Miller Brickyard Criterium in downtown Grand Rapids will feature the 3 p.m. Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Kids’ Race, which will immediately precede the men’s pro race.

Both kids’ races are free to enter and allow children the opportunity to ride on the same courses as the professionals. Helmets must be worn.

On Friday in Zeeland, kids can register (with a parent) starting at 5 p.m. at Main Street Bicycle Company (201 E. Main Ave.). Kids 7 and under will ride a 100-foot section of the course, while those 7 and older will ride one full lap (.7 miles).

On Saturday in downtown Grand Rapids, registration begins at 1 p.m. near the intersection of Ionia and Weston, next to Van Andel Arena. For the sixth consecutive year, the first 150 kids who don’t own a helmet can receive and be properly fitted for a free one, courtesy of the Griffins’ “Put A Lid On It!” program and Safe Kids Greater Grand Rapids. The kids’ race will consist of three heats: Heat 1 (one .8-mile lap) for ages 6-9; Heat 2 (one lap) for ages 4-6; and Heat 3 (200 meters) for ages 4 and under.