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SALT LAKE CITY — Hundreds of cyclists lined the streets outside an Episcopal church waiting for their bikes to be blessed Saturday.
The 8th annual Blessing of the Bikes at the Cathedral Church of St. Mark included almost everything with wheels: bicycles, scooters, motorcycles, tricycles, and even unicycles.
Too many people die needlessly or are injured.
–The Very Rev. Ray Waldon
But the Very Rev. Ray Waldon isn't simply putting bicyclists' safety into God's hands.
"I am trying to focus the spotlight on safety," Waldon said. "Too many people die needlessly or are injured."
Aside from the prayer, the church also hosted a safety-themed "bike rodeo," led by the Salt Lake City Police Department.
"This is a fun event that not only raises awareness for safety, it is also a food drive in support of Hildegarde's Food Pantry, to feed people who need help in this time of economic certainty," said Pat Peterson, a member of Vestry of the Cathedral Church of St. Mark's.
With bikes blessed, the hope is that participants will put their faith in helmets too.
