August 31, 2023 — FORT COLLINS, CO – For the fourth consecutive year, Bike Fort Collins and Wish For Wheels, are once again aiming to help ensure every second-grader in Poudre School District’s Title 1 schools has access to a bicycle so they can learn to ride, be active, and establish a lifelong habit of bicycling. With continued community support, the Wish for Wheels FoCo program provides every second grade student with a new bike and helmet. The bikes often last each second-grader for up to 3-years of use before growing out of them.
The two partner non-profits, in conjunction with the continued support from founding program sponsor, YourGroupRide.com, are seeking partners to help fund and deliver approx. 300 bikes and helmets to every second-grader at Bauder, Irish, Harris, Laurel and Putnam Elementary Schools. The assembly and delivery of the bikes to the second-graders will take place in October 18th, and entails an impressively choreographed schedule to visit each of the five schools over the course of the day.
“We believe that the earlier we can introduce kids to bicycling, the higher the probability of them honing not just a life skill, but establishing a lifelong habit.”
There are three opportunities to participate. Funding 25-bikes enables a sponsor to “adopt” an entire second grade class, while a 65-bike commitment sponsors and funds an entire school. Students can also be supported by individuals, businesses, or organizations for a donation of $175 per student. Businesses interested in funding bikes should contact Timothy Wooten at tim.wooten@bikefortcollins.org, and the broader community can also support individually by funding bikes Here.
The following businesses have sponsored an entire second-grade class: Waterpik, Poudre River Power Authority, Van Meveren Law Group, Intel Corporation, Hewlett Packard, and Scheels, with more scheduled to return and being added on a weekly basis. In addition, as it has done each year, founding sponsor YourGroupRide.com will once again lead a Team Challenge, which is a contest among area bike teams and clubs to see which organization can fund the most bikes.
“Entering the program’s fourth year, we are so grateful for the continued support from the community to help ensure every child in PSD can have a bike and helmet of their own. The program also augments our Safe Routes to School program efforts that teach PSD students, across all grades, rules of the road and bicycle skills, and thus also hopefully plants a seed for a lifelong habit.”, says Dave Dixon of Bike Fort Collins. “It’s so great as we’re now starting to see students bringing their Wish for Wheels FoCo bikes to school for the on-bike portion of our ‘Safe Routes’ curriculum at their school.”
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About Bike Fort Collins
Located in one of the most bike friendly cities in the country, Bike Fort Collins (BFC) is a growing bicycle advocacy and active transportation 501(c)(3), delivering on three primary programs, as well as a number of other advocacy initiatives and events. These programs include: Safe Routes to School (a partnership with the City of Fort Collins to deliver bike safety education to Poudre School District students), the Bicycle Friendly Business Network, and its Active Living initiative to promote inclusion and access to active transportation in marginalized and distressed communities in Northern Colorado. To learn more, visit www.bikefortcollins.org, or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Linkedin.
About Wish For Wheels
Based in Denver, Wish for Wheels is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that gives brand new bicycles and helmets to under-resourced second-graders in Title I schools through unforgettable corporate philanthropy events. Their unique model bundles team building and employee engagement through bike building experiences for teams of all sizes. Since their founding in 2004, Wish for Wheels has given over 80,000 bicycles to children in need, thanks to their partner organizations. To learn more, visit www.wishforwheels.org.
About YourGroupRide.com
YourGroupRide.com (aka YGR) is a cycling news website based in Fort Collins, CO that unites the Northern Colorado cycling scene by keeping riders informed about the latest news, rides, races and other events. YGR conducts local rider interviews, local cyclist bike reviews and other features such as 10 Tracks and Gear Reviews. Behind the scenes, they work with Bike Fort Collins, Overland Mountain Bike Association and FC Moves/FC Bikes on advocacy initiatives to make Fort Collins an even better and safer place to ride. With the support of local businesses, they’ve been covering the NoCo cycling scene since 2009. Visit www.yourgroupride.com, or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.