Crocodile Cruisin’: One bike’s journey to the Holiday Bike Drive
Have you ever wondered about the path a bicycle takes on its way to a lucky kid at the Holiday Bike Drive? So much time and love goes into each bicycle, now you can follow one bike’s transformation.
In a series of web posts this fall, we will follow the path of one 12″ “Crocodile Cruisin'” to show you how the magic works. We sure can’t refurbish 500 bicycles on our own! Along its way to the 2008 Holiday Bike Drive, this little red bike will be handed over by a donor, collected at a community-initiated bicycle collection event, cleaned and refurbished by volunteers, and triple checked by staff mechanics.
Oh, and one more thing: this little bike needs a name. Have a good one? Email me your suggestions and I’ll name (him? her?) in the next installment.
Step one: The Collection
This Crocodile Cruisin’ was donated at a collection organized by Tammy Wilhoite at Forest Park Elementary school in SW Portland.
Tammy found out about the Community Cycling Center at the Bike Gallery when she took her old bicycle in for a tune-up. They told her about our selection of refurbished bicycles for people on a budget.
Later that night she read more about us online. When she learned about our programs for low-income families, she decided to organize a bike collection. Lucky for us! Tammy organizes one community service event per year for both her children and other kids in the neighborhood and a bike collection was a perfect fit.
Tammy organized the collection with the help of the Forest Park Elementary’s fifth grade students. They created flyers and posters to publicize the collection and also helped out on the day of the event, directing donors, handing out snacks, and processing donated bikes.
Thanks to Tammy and the fifth graders, teachers, and principal of Forest Park Elementary, we received a grand total of 50 bicycles, 22 of which will be directed to the Holiday Bike Drive. Including the little, red Crocodile Cruisin’.
Next time: Cleaning up