GIFFORD — Figuring the best way to get to know a community is to bike it, about 30 bicyclists hit the road Saturday morning for a tour of Gifford.
The Vero Cycling bike club joined forces with several Gifford community leaders to hold the “Gifford Bike Tour,” pedaling several miles with pit stops at places such as Florida’s oldest black church and the Gifford Youth Achievement Center.
Gifford luminaries such as Freddie Woolfork, local NAACP leader Tony Brown and Sheriff’s Deputy Teddy Floyd strapped on helmets and pedaled with the Vero Cycling members on a breezy Saturday morning.
One of the most fascinating stops along the way was a chat at the Historic Macedonia Church, the oldest black church in the state of Florida.
It was a reunion of sorts for Vero Cycling club president Sharon LaPoint, who used to teach at the schools in Gifford and enjoyed pedaling the tour.
Saturday’s ride was a special event ride for the bike club, which has more than 330 paid members.
