In an effort to raise support for the safety of Madison-area children, a group of University of Wisconsin students are bearing the cold weather and cycling all day today.
The UW cycling team will be biking on Library Mall for their annual "Freezing for Safety" event today from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to raise funds and awareness for the Madison Area Safe Kids Coalition.
Out of the 80 members on the UW Cycling Team, nearly 50 have signed up to participate in the event, according to team member Jessie Duppler.
Duppler also said that members will bike in shifts and stay as long at they are able to.
"People come whenever they want and stay for however they want — until they freeze," Duppler said.
Duppler added the team normally doesn't train outdoors but makes an exception for the charity event.
"We have stationary trainers that we train inside on," Duppler said. "So we basically hook our bikes up to it and they become stationary."
Duppler also said the UW cycling team is providing entertainment on Library Mall in hopes of receiving donations.
"We heckle people for money, usually do some crazy stunts," Duppler said. "We bring cowbells and music, and usually people dress up in costume."
According to Duppler, the UW cycling team raised nearly $1,000 last year for the Madison Area Safe Kids Coalition.
UW cycling member Jon Camp said the Madison Area Safe Kids Coalition focused on the transportation safety of young people.
"Their primary focus is safe kids," Camp said. "They do a lot of stuff with child seats, helmets for kids who can't afford them and helping out families with other child safety issues."
Camp also said it is important to teach children positive safety habits early in life.
"By kids starting to wear helmets at a young age, it just really ingrains good habits to continue on whenever you choose to ride a bike later on in life," Camp said.
Camp added the cycling team aims to set a good example when practicing around the area.
"Even though we're not mandated to wear helmets when we race and when we ride, sometimes we do it just for the safety factor as well," Camp said. "It's nice to teach the same values to other people when they see us ride."
Safe Kids is a national organization that focuses on prevention of unintentional injuries, the leading cause of death among children fourteen and younger, according to the Safe Kids website.
According to Camp, the cause relates to many members of the UW cycling team.
"A lot of us have been involved in accidents at one point or another, so we know how important it is to have a helmet," said Camp. "Being on the cycling team, and having a large presence in campus, we try to advocate proper helmet usage and safety."