Hundreds bike with Brent for charity

Brent Carpenter at Willow Park preparing to lead the "Bike with Brent" charity event for the Cache Employment and Training Center. 

LOGAN — Hundreds of people gathered at Willow Park Friday morning for the 5th annual “Bike with Brent.” Participants rode bikes and walked around the park and Cache County Fairgrounds with local celebrity Brent Carpenter. The charity event was a fundraiser for the Cache Employment and Training Center (CETC).

Joe Beck is Chairman of the CETC board and has been involved with the center since 1994. He said it was inspiring to once again see so many people participate and support people with disabilities.

“It is really exciting,” said Beck. “Brent is a great guy and is such an icon in the valley and everybody knows Brent. Everybody has an association with Brent and just for the fact that CETC has been with Brent and he’s been a part of our organization for so long. It just makes us all proud that we can celebrate this day with him and celebrate riding and what Brent is so passionate about. Mostly celebrate the awareness of people with disabilities. This is just a great day for us.”

The event began earlier in the day with bounce houses, a rock climbing wall and carnival type games.

At noon, participants wearing blue “I biked with Brent” t-shirts, followed Brent as he rode his bike, honking his horn and waving to people lining the sides of the streets.

Logan City Mayor Craig Petersen was one of this year’s riders. He told of a special experience that happened during last year’s Freedom Fire festival, when he got to ride a three-wheel tricycle around Merlin Olsen field with Brent.

“Put Brent and I side-by-side and far more people will recognize him more than me,” said Peterson. “I think it’s wonderful how the community has adopted him and really allowed him to maximize his potential. He is a treasure in Cache Valley.”

One of other highlights of the event was a bike polo game. Crowds cheered as local law enforcement and firefighters, rode bikes and used play sized bats, to hit small balls into a net. A trophy was given to law enforcement at the end, after they won the game.

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