News Release: Community Cycling Center Brings Bikes for Kids Event to East Multnomah County
100 Children to Receive Bicycles at New Boys and Girls Club
July 22, 2014 – Portland, Ore. – This summer, 100 children from underserved communities will receive bicycles, helmets, safety education, and family resources at the Community Cycling Center’s Bikes for Kids event located at the new Rockwood Boys and Girls Club in Gresham. The event is made possible thanks to the generous donation of bicycles from Portland Fire & Rescue’s Toy N Joy Makers.
The Cycling Center, known for its annual Holiday Bike Drive, expanded its summer programming so that children can experience the joy of bicycles during the prime biking season. For the first time ever, the Community Cycling Center will offer this event in East Multnomah County, an area where many have expressed a desire for bicycling and active transportation resources.
“We recognized that there is a significant need for access to bicycles in East Portland and Gresham,” said Mychal Tetteh, CEO of the Community Cycling Center. “Now, more children will have the opportunity to explore our community this summer on two wheels.”
The event will also host several nonprofit organizations that will provide families with the resources and connections they need to help build pathways out of poverty. During the event, parents and guardians of the children will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from Pathfinders, SNAP, Rockwood CDC, Native American Youth and Family Center, Girls Inc, I Have a Dream Foundation, Human Solutions, and more.
About Bikes for Kids
On the day of the event, over 50 volunteers will guide each child through a series of bike safety lessons while helping them choose a bicycle. Volunteer interpreters help create a welcoming event by translating the experience into Spanish, Somali, and other languages spoken by participants and their families. Members of Girls’ Inc—a nonprofit organization that provides life-changing educational experiences for girls—will be volunteering as guides at the event.
The Community Cycling Center thanks Portland Fire & Rescue’s Toy N Joy Makers for donating 100 bicycles in honor of their 100th anniversary. Trauma Nurses Talk Tough will provide the helmets for kids to navigate the streets safely with their new bikes. Metro is generously sponsoring this event.
The Community Cycling Center invites the media to attend Bikes for Kids.
What: Bikes for Kids
When: Saturday, August 2, 2014, 2:00pm to 4:00 p.m. (Best time for media to take great pictures or video.)
Where: Rockwood Boys & Girls Club, located at 16519 SE Stark Street. The event will be held inside the gymnasium. Members of the media can park in adjacent parking lot.
About the Community Cycling Center
The Community Cycling Center is a nonprofit organization founded in 1994 that helps people access their community by bicycle. We partner with communities on neighborhood-based projects and programs. We believe that all Portlanders—regardless of their income, education, or ethnic background—should have the opportunity to choose healthy, active transportation.
###