By KALEY LYON

klyon@dailynews.net

Small children whizzed by on bikes and trikes of all varieties, while mothers gently strolled with their infants in baby strollers.

So began Hays Area Children's Center's annual Trike-a-Thon, a kid-friendly prelude to the 21st annual Bike-a-Thon, slated to kick off Saturday.

McKenzie Flax, a member of the center's preschool class, was in the thick of the traffic, pedaling hard on the Dora Explorer bike she got for Christmas.

"I'm riding my bike," Flax said.

Sunny skies and warm spring temperatures were a welcome addition to Friday's event. Parents, grandparents and friends stood on the sidelines cheering on their young athletes and snapping photos.

Last year's event was scheduled on a day so cold many chose not to attend, said Tammey Walker, community relations coordinator at HACC.

Parents were notified of the event and invited to submit letters of support, making a donation to their favorite competitors -- who were awarded at the end of the morning's activities.

A designated course was set up to guide the children's path, but many of them failed to turn around at the stop sign.

"As long as they're having fun, that's the whole point," Walker said with a laugh.

Fort Hays State University's very own Victor E. Tiger even made an appearance at the event, zipping through the crowd on a scooter.

"Daddy, I gave the Fort Hays Tiger a five," 3-year-old Halle Dreiling shouted to her father, Shane. "I did."

The excited child even had the opportunity to have her picture taken with the tiger, alongside one of her favorite classmates.

"It's fun to see the kids having a good time," said Shane Dreiling, Hays.

A small "pit stop" was even available. Children had the opportunity to pause for refreshments when they tired of biking.

Some children preferred to pedal furiously on small tricycles, but others preferred to ride in style.

"A car! A car!" 2-year-old Taevian Maupin-Dabney exclaimed, rushing for an available purple car toy.

Needless to say, Saturday's event will look quite different. Bicycle enthusiasts from across the state will gather at HACC for an 8 a.m. start, and will have the option of choosing several different routes.

Distance ranges from 5 to 100 miles, with tours planned for Antonino, Ellis, Catherine and Schoenchen. So far, about 20 people have signed up for the event, which is one of the HACC's biggest fundraisers.

Out of town visitors even have the option of camping out at the HACC on Friday and Saturday nights.

Registration is $45, including meals, and those interested can sign up until the morning of the event by contacting the children's center at (785) 625-3257.

"It is a fun event," Walker said. "What people say is they enjoy getting together with the same friends every time when they come. A lot of them do it because they know it's for a good cause."