The Town of Purcellville will hold its annual Public Safety Day on Saturday, May 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Purcellville Public Safety Center, 500 North Maple Avenue. The free community event coincides with National Police Week and Emergency Medical Services Week.
The day is jointly hosted by the Purcellville Police Department, the Purcellville Parks and Recreation Division, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, the Purcellville Volunteer Fire Company and the Purcellville Volunteer Rescue Squad.
Planned activities include meet-and-greets with local, county and state first responders, displays of police, fire and rescue apparatus, equipment and tool demonstrations, a paint-the-cruiser station, an inflatable safety house and a scavenger hunt. A free bicycle giveaway will also be held, with participants required to be present to win. Lunch items such as hamburgers and hot dogs will be available for purchase, and free treats will be offered for children.
Partner organizations scheduled to participate include the American Red Cross, Boulder Crest Foundation, LAWS Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services, the Loudoun County Adult and Aging Unit, Loudoun County Animal Services, Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue, the Loudoun County Fire Marshal’s Office, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, the Loudoun First Responders Foundation, the Purcellville Library, Thin Line Service Dogs, Tree of Life Ministries, Saving NOVA Littles, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Port Authority, and the Virginia State Police.
Running alongside the main event, the Bike Safety Rodeo gives children a chance to practice bicycle safety skills. Free helmet fittings will be offered, with helmets provided at no cost, and Trek Bicycle Leesburg will conduct basic safety checks. An on-bicycle obstacle course will round out the rodeo, and children who complete each station will receive a “Bicycle License.”
The schedule also includes Pedal Purcellville, a family bike ride and decorating contest with a theme of “Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary.” Check-in opens at 10 a.m., followed by the decorating contest at 10:30 a.m. Prizes will be awarded for the top three decorated bikes. At 11 a.m., participants will set off on a 20 to 30 minute ride beginning at the Public Safety Center and traveling along part of Main Street and the W&OD Trail before returning to the starting point. Public safety personnel will escort riders, and an alternate route is planned in the event of inclement weather. Registration for Pedal Purcellville closed May 8.
Parking will be available in the open field across from the Public Safety Center. Attendees may also park at Loudoun Valley High School, 340 North Maple Avenue, and walk or bike to the event using the paved pathway.
Trek Bicycle of Leesburg is serving as an in-kind sponsor for the bicycle safety checks, and the Fraternal Order of Police, Virginia Lodge 69, is donating the bicycle and helmet giveaway items.
For more information, residents may contact Emily Johnson, public information specialist for the Town of Purcellville, at ejohnson@purcellvilleva.gov or Christa Kermode at 540-338-7422.
