The magic! The music! The bicycles! A report from the 15th annual Holiday Bike Drive
“What does a helmet protect?” asked the smiling bike safety volunteer, holding up a bike helmet. Hands shot up and one child spoke up, “Your head!” “And what’s inside your head that you need to protect?” “Your brain!” the group of children huddled around him yelled out, this time more loudly and nearly in unison.
These kids were learning about bike safety at one of the five bike safety education stations on their way to the great hall, where they would receive new helmets and their very first bicycles during the fifteenth annual Holiday Bike Drive.
This year’s event was a huge success. More than 400 children received bicycles, new helmets, and bike safety education. Dozens of interpreters were on hand to offer bike safety lessons in Vietnamese, Spanish, Russian, and Somali. 248 volunteers came together to support the event and gave 1,110 hours collectively. Photographers and videographers were on hand to help us document this amazing day. Musicians played festive music to help us create a joyful atmosphere. Mechanics made final adjustments to saddles and handlebars before the munchkins headed for the bike rodeo to try out their new wheels.
We throw this party every year, and every year we are amazed at the enthusiasm of the children, the generosity of our volunteers and donors, the commitment of our staff and board members, and the energetic welcome we receive from the staff of Legacy Emanuel Hospital, our hosts for the event.
We are in awe of you, supporters, volunteers, and community partners. You joined us to create the most heartwarming bicycle event of the year. We’ll stop talking about it now, and let the pictures speak for themselves…
Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.
All photos by Chad Berkley.