Cycle campaigner award finalist

Tauranga cycle safety campaigner and well-known athlete Iris Thomas has been named as a finalist in the Cycle Friendly Awards 2010.

Iris is one of 19 finalists, for her Kids Can Ride initiative with Tauranga City Council to promote safe cycling through professional education, awareness and practical skills development.

The programme is offered to all Tauranga primary schools.

A founding member of Cycle Action Tauranga, Iris is "passionate about cycle safety education and encouraging a love of cycling", says awards coordinator Dirk De Lu.

Each finalist receives a certificate of accomplishment and the overall winner for each category takes home the bike bell trophy. Avanti Cycles has also donated a Spirit Cycle to be raffled to one of the five overall winners.

The awards ceremony will be held in Wellington on Friday.