What started in 2008 as a simple idea – matching kids with volunteers to build bicycles – has blossomed into an annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day event.
The latest one, last month, saw more than 200 volunteers spend 900-plus hours encouraging a love of bicycles and mentorship.
50 Bikes for 50 Kids began in Alaska and has continued as a National Day of Service project in Sacramento with the North Natomas Transportation Management Association (NNTMA). Now in its sixth year in California, the event is going strong and is more popular than ever.
The way it works? Kids in fifth through twelfth grades are nominated by local leaders for exhibiting exemplary character traits throughout the year. Those selected for the honor to build and receive a new bicycle are joined by community members who bring enthusiasm for bicycles and mentorship to the project. Volunteers are not bike mechanics and range from novices to cycling enthusiasts. The event’s strength lies with its ability to put a wrench (and an actual bike) in the hands of all.
50 Bikes for 50 Kids is creating an atmosphere of learning to hopefully foster a life-long love for bikes. The event not only provides a mode of transportation but gives kids the tools and knowledge to become avid bicyclists.
Every child who receives a bike is educated on how to load it onto a bus bike rack and theft-prevention best practices. In addition, they are provided with bicycle maps and transit schedules. And, by introducing young people to community members invested in bicycling, a bicycle-friendly community flourishes.
Year after year, stories of how past recipients are using their bikes are shared. These bikes get kids to and from work and school, allow for rides with families, and have served as an entry point into mobility alternatives to the car.
To make the event possible, NNTMA seeks buy-in and support from the community. Funds for the bicycles, bicycling gear, and activities come from donors.
“In 2018, ninety businesses, organizations, and individuals donated more than $30,000 toward this event,” said NNTMA Executive Director Becky Heieck.
50 Bikes for 50 Kids is empowering for both kids and adults. We are building a better future for our community, 50 bikes at a time.
For many more stories about great bicycle-education TDM programs, go here.