Astoria Civic hosts 28th annual bike race

The streets of Astoria recently looked more like a stage for the Tour de France as the Astoria Civic Association hosted the 28th Annual Bike Race in Astoria Park.
The Civic Association along with City Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr., former Council Speaker Peter Vallone Sr. and other community leaders hosted the event that drew approximately 200 children competing in different age categories.
The 4-year olds on their big wheels and tricycles kicked off the day by meandering down Shore Boulevard, while the older kids raced down the streets at high speeds. The top five finishers in each race received a trophy, but everyone that participated in the races received a medal rewarding their efforts.
“Standing out here on Shore Boulevard, watching these kids race down the road with their families cheering them on is what Astoria is all about,” Vallone Jr. said. “For over 25 years, I have been coming out for this annual event, and I think it gets better every year.”
The Astoria Civic Association is the oldest civic association in Queens. A group of concerned neighborhood residents began organizing the association in 1928, and it became officially chartered by the state in 1933.
The Association’s Judge Charles J. Vallone Scholarship Fund, named after the group’s first executive chair, has awarded more than $330,000.00 to high school students since its inception in 1967.