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Earn-A-Bike Grads Achieve Experience of a Lifetime Executive Alliance Honors Trade In Event Keeps Dinner / Auction Breaks Bike Works 2005 Strategic Plan |
For 26 years, thousands of cyclists have set goals to complete the Group Health Seattle To Portland Bicycle Classic (STP), a 200-mile ride often compared to running a marathon. The majority of participants have decades of cycling experience and ride sparkling special-alloy bikes worth thousands of dollars. July 9 and 10 five teenage Earn-A-Bike graduates (among the 4.6% of STP participants under the age of 18) rode alongside these seasoned veterans. The kids traveled on heavy, 12-speed road bikes they pieced together with decades-old components. The kids thought the concept was “crazy.”
In December, Tina Bechler, program manager, challenged a group of Earn-a-Bike graduates to bicycle from Seattle to Portland. From her experience, Tina knew the event was a “safe, controlled environment” to challenge kids. Tina hoped the achievement might change their perspective of the world and their views of how they can travel. Training started in January with 20 mile rides every other Saturday. The rides slowly increased to 25, 35 and 50 miles. Winter rides against fierce headwinds made training challenging at the beginning. Laughing, the group fondly remembers an early training ride when “Jonathan, going only 3 miles per hour, hit a stationary pole heading across I-90…we don’t know what he was doing!” By June, training rides escalated to 60-80 mile tours. When all five riders completed the Flying Wheels Summer Century – a 100-mile ride more challenging than the first day of STP – the group was not joking…they realized they might finish their first ‘double century.’ Twelve year-old Irene Muller describes the experience as “incredible.” Entering 7th grade, her longest ride before January was 15 miles. Skeptical at first, Irene enjoyed the training, and learned she could ride further than imagined. She rode a Trek hybrid bike that she worked on with Earn-A-Bike hours. She also learned to “conserve my energy and listen to my body’s needs for food and rest.” A 14 year-old Earn-a-Bike graduate attending Ingraham High School this fall, Jonathan Reingold had not bicycled more than three miles in a day before 2005. He relied on his repair skills to fix his headset, chain and other equipment that was not prepared for the intense, long workouts. Jonathan’s pre-event anxiety turned to excitement at the start line. By the time he reached Portland city limits, he says “a huge adrenalin rush helped me push through the last few miles of uphill riding to the finish line…if you can feel good, stay positive, the miles will fly by.” He compares the experience to the 10-month preparation for his bar mitzvah. Fifteen year-old Henry Jackson-Spieker, a sophomore at Aviation High School this fall – “loved racing others up hills” on a Trek frame that he built up himself. It was an experience he won’t forget. Gus Hoffman, 14, will be a freshman at Northwest High School next fall. His longest pre-2005 ride was “maybe 20 miles.” Next to sleeping in a comfortable bed, his most memorable moment was “coming into Portland and seeing the outline of the downtown buildings.” Gus agreed that the experience was his most long-term accomplishment. The experience has helped him overcome the psychological barrier of quitting, and he’s in better shape now.
On Sunday, July 10, all five teens (Sam Hopkins, Henry Jackson-Spieker, Irene Muller, and Jonathan Reingold) successfully crossed the finish line into Portland,. still surprised they finished. The team recommends training as a group: “Without the help of Tina and other volunteers, we would not have been able to complete the ride,” said Gus. Since many parents did not have bicycles, Bike Works’ organized rides were the only consistent opportunity for students’ training. But Irene cautions “beware of stationary objects!” Not only was Bike Works able to provide a lifetime achievement for these five teens, but the program also developed camaraderie and friendships among the participants. Tina and Bike Works are “incredibly proud” of the young Earn-A-Bike graduates. Executive Alliance Honors Bike Works With The Executive Alliance presented an Evergreen Award to Bike Works for its outstanding contributions to the community. The Executive Alliance mission is to promote nonprofits that support a healthy community and a thriving economy in Washington State. Bike Works and Cascade Bicycle Club Education Foundation are working together to promote bicycling as a healthy lifestyle among south Seattle youth. Through a new federal Healthy STEPS grant, the two organizations teach safe bicycling skills to under-served kids in south King County (targeted by the Center for Disease Control and King County Public Health for its high rates of asthma, diabetes, and obesity.) Bike Works and Cascade were awarded the grant from among over 200 non-profit candidates. "We can help individuals stay healthy only if we make our communities healthy places to work and play and we have opportunities to … engage in physical activity, and breathe healthy air free of tobacco smoke and other pollutants," said Dr. Jim Krieger, Chief of Public Health's Epidemiology, Planning and Evaluation Unit and grant lead for King County. By creating a love for exercise and developing opportunities for inexpensive, daily physical activity - Healthy STEPS will reduce the rate of obesity and related chronic diseases. Bike Works and Cascade will work together to: • Teach bicycle safety and repair skills to 200 youth per year at bicycle safety rodeos. • Lead 50 youth on organized out-of-school-time bicycle rides, activities, and field trips. • Expand Bike Works’ bike safety repair course* to new neighborhoods with two off-site multi-week courses per year at Rainier and South Park Community Centers. * Interested kids can sign up after Labor Day by contacting the community centers at (206) 386-1919 and (206) 684-7451, respectively. Healthy STEPS also creates partnership opportunities for Bike Works with other organizations – such as the Austin Foundation, YMCA, and Girls on the Run – as well as the American Lung Association, Diabetes Association and other community-based coalitions.
Held the second Saturday in May, BikeWorks held its 9th annual Bike Swap at Genesee Playfield. Over 130 enthusiastic participants traded 105 bikes. Since children outgrow bikes as often as shoes, the Bike Swap allows kids to trade-up to a larger bike, often for only $10 after trade in. All bikes are checked for mechanical issues; plus, kids may test ride the bikes before purchasing. 25 volunteers also helped participants with bicycle and helmet fits.
BikeWorks’ third annual dinner and auction raised over $27,000, a 22% increase over 2004, the most money raised by any single Bike Works fundraising event. To accommodate more supporters, this year’s May 1st dinner, moved from MOHAI to a larger space at the South Lake Union Armory. 160 attendees were treated to a jazz performance by Monktail and a fun specialty bike demonstrations. Over 100 items were bid on by youth cycling supporters. Lisa Quinn, former vice president, says the new space was very helpful for the “Carnival theme” where performers rode around entertaining guests. More space meant better visual presentation, so the two silent auctions were more profitable this year. The fabulous dinner was catered by Fare Start, a partner organization for Bike Works, which provides the group with repaired bikes for the homeless to use as transportation to and from work. Thanks to all of our auction donors (see: www.bikeworks.org/auctionitems.html for a list of products and services), including Aaron Rowe of UW Surplus who donated his services, as well as our table captains: the Bike Works board members, Connie Walker-Gray, and the Cascade Bicycle Club. Donate an item for the next auction TODAY. Contact Bike Works’ board director and auction chair, Sarah Kavage at sarah@gogoweb.com Thanks to the staff and 20 volunteers who made this event a success. Next year’s auction is Saturday, March 25.
Bike Works has charged into 2005 with a new strategic plan for educating and empowering youth with life skills and their own clean transportation. Key goals were identified for building Bike Works core programs, including: • Earn-A-Bike Program (EAB) and Summer Camp • Youth Ventures Bike Club / Neighborhood Rides • Bicycle Passports • Community Partnerships • Kids Bike Swap • Community Bike Shop • Bicycle Exports: Domestic and International • Adult Repair Classes It’s going to be a strong year for Bike Works as we build this amazing organization. The leadership and staff are a dynamic combination. The volunteers are tireless and committed to youth. We invite your participation in the success of Bike Works.
I wish you could come to the little house on Ferdinand Street to witness the energy of Bike Works in action. We are bigger than we look. A major donor referred to us as the” little engine that could.” We are focused on offering more opportunities for young people to learn about bike repair, safety and riding. We can do this with limited resources, because of support from people like you; we are growing and showing how bikes can be used not just for recreation and transportation but as tools for life. As you read this newsletter, think about the possibilities of how you might join us in supporting Bike Works’ efforts to build sustainable communities. You may want to serve as a volunteer mentor, board member or come and fix bikes to help others lacking access. We are the place to give back and I invite you to join us today. Sincerely, David Strong
David Wiktorski was promoted from Earn-A-Bike Coordinator to Bike Shop Manager. Tina Bechler was promoted from volunteer/program coordinator. David and Tina have developed an Advance Mechanic Camp, the two week internship program for Earn-A-Bike which will prepare students to complete apprenticeships in retail bike shops.
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