Members of Andasol Avenue Elementary School’s PTA hosted a BMX Bicycle Stunt Show and Safety Fair on June 6 in hopes of raising money for the school’s Physical Education Department for the 2008-09 school year.

The event was on the school’s campus and open to students, parents, faculty, and members of the community.

Andasol Avenue Elementary in Northridge started the tradition of hosting unique events last year with a magic show and decided to host the BMX Stunt Show and Safety Fair this year.

“My kids go to school here, so I feel it’s very important to support the school. Plus, it’s a fun event and I’m sure the kids will love it,” said Nancy De La Espriella, a parent whose children attend the school.

The organizers of the event were Beverly Cordova and the president of the school’s PTA, Gina Sanchez.

“We always try to make sure to have parents here on a regular basis, supporting the school and its activities. We want to stay together as a family,” Sanchez said.

The event invited the BMX Pro Stunt Team with two riders, Robert Dastillo, 40, and Mike Saavedra. Saavedra, now 24-years-old, began when he was 17, the youngest to join the Team.

BMX Pro Stunt Team is based in Riverside County. The team has 25 riders with four teams that travel across the country. The ages of the riders range anywhere from 23-40 years old, but they do have exceptions when beginning, such as with Saavedra. Riders join from across the nation, from California to Florida. The riders in the team have won seven X-Games medals, three of which are gold.

While riding on bike ramps and also showing tricks on the ground during the show, Dastillo and Saavedra made sure to inform the children about the safety precautions to be taken when riding.

“Wearing a helmet is the most important thing to remember while riding. It’s safe and it’s the right thing to do. It’s also the law for anyone 18 and younger to ride with a helmet,” said Dastillo to the audience during the show. “Trust me, it’s cool to wear a helmet.”

Dastillo and Saavedra informed the audience how important it is to stay alcohol and drug free. They also stressed getting an education, even for kids who choose to become BMX riders. Eighty percent of BMX Pro Stunt Team’s riders have a college degree, said Dastillo.

“It’s really important for us to give back to the community. They do a lot for us; they do a lot for the kids. I’ll do a show for anybody,” Dastillo said. “It’s a small way to give back.”

The parents, children and faculty at the school seemed pleased with the outcome of the event.

“I’m a BMX fanatic. I just wish it could have been longer,” said Moria Johnson, a member of the school’s PTA.

The children who attended seemed to enjoy themselves. They learned new tricks, as well as some important safety tips.

“The tricks they did were something new for me. I had never seen how a back-flip is done,” said Alexandria Farmer, a student at Andasol Avenue. “I’m going to go home and practice riding my bike everyday.”

Cameron Brown, also a student at the school, was impressed with what he saw as well.

“Their tricks were extremely good. It shows that it took a lot of work and education to do it, and it really paid off,” Brown said.

The organizers were also quite pleased with the day’s event.

“We accomplished what we wanted to by getting the families here. We got them aware of PTA events and we got their support,” said Sanchez. “We didn’t reach our goal, but we’re on our way. I hope we continue this tradition each year.”

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