Dr. Rowena Manalo tells her personal story of enjoying Sunday Parkways
(May 17, 2017) This Sunday, May 21 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. the City of Portland Sunday Parkways presented by Kaiser Permanente begins its 10th anniversary season in Southeast neighborhoods. This family-friendly free event organized by the Portland Bureau of Transportation is a great way to get the whole family out on a bike ride or walk for healthy, fun activity kicking of the second next decade of Sunday Parkways.
Sunday Parkways is a favorite annual event for Dr. Rowena Manalo, Chief of Family Medicine at Kaiser Permanente Northwest. She and her family have enjoyed many rides and they are particularly excited to celebrate the 10th anniversary season, which will include a special Passport to Health sticker hunt with prizes, a community appreciation party, and a new route in outer Northeast Portland.
“My daughter is 10 years old, and we’ve seen her grow through a decade of Sunday Parkways,” said Dr. Manalo. “She started off riding in a bike trailer, graduated to a trailer bike, very slowly completing the route with training wheels, to now being a fully independent rider who sometimes speeds ahead of us!”
As presenting sponsor of Sunday Parkways, Kaiser Permanente and its employees put health and safety first, so Dr. Manalo says she especially appreciates how safe the rides are for families. “We have a sense of security riding on the routes with young kids, and not having to worry about cars. The community volunteers and neighbors we pass are always very welcoming. We’ve been able to explore and appreciate different parts of Portland, and the kids love the fun freebies along the way, like T-shirts and bike bells. They’re especially excited about this year’s scavenger hunt.”
While Dr. Manalo usually rides with her family, she often enjoys bringing friends along for the ride. “It’s been great to ride and hang out with friends, and take our lunch break together to sample some of the great food trucks along the way. I’ve often recommended the event to patients and colleagues, especially those new to the area. It’s a great way to get active on the weekend with family and friends.”
The seven-mile Southeast Portland route tees up the 10th season celebration on June 25th in North Portland Sunday Parkways. Stay tuned for details.
To make it easy for residents and visitors alike to join in the fun this weekend PBOT has created a detailed Sunday Parkways route map with all area bikeway routes and bus and light rail routes plus the BIKETOWN boundaries and stations to help area everyone get to Sunday Parkways by biking and taking transit.
This route highlights four Portland Parks including Laurelhurst, Ivon, Colonel Summers and Sewallcrest parks with activities, food, music, and community businesses and organizations to connect with at the event. Find the list of music, food, community organizations, sponsors and scheduled classes and activities on our Southeast Portland Sunday Parkways webpage.
For maps and more information, visit www.PortlandSundayParkways.org or call 503-823-7599. Follow us on Facebook at PortlandSundayParkways and on Twitter @SundayParkways.
For news media to schedule interviews with Dr. Rowena Manalo, please contact Karen Vitt at karen.a.vitt@kp.org or 503-201-5399.
About Sunday Parkways
Sunday Parkways is a series of free community events opening the city's largest public space—its streets—for people to walk, bike, roll and discover active transportation. The events are beloved by Portlanders of all ages. Total attendance for the 10 years has topped 690,000 over 38 Sunday Parkways events. Residents and visitors say they come to enjoy the traffic-free streets connecting parks and schools filled with activities, music and vendors. It’s safe, family-friendly and a chance to meet neighbors. Learn more at www.portlandsundayparkways.org.
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The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is the steward of the City’s transportation system, and a community partner in shaping a livable city. We plan, build, manage and maintain an effective and safe transportation system that provides access and mobility. Learn more at www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation