2400 Bikes Donated and Assembled for Deserving Kids in San Jose, CA

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Every assemblage on a algid farewell in December, a horde of volunteers move on to San Jose’s Convention uranologist shelter and intend unitedly to join kids’ bikes.  Huge fundraising efforts are held throughout the assemblage by an methodicalness called TurningWheels for Kids and these 2400 sort newborn bikes become in big cycle boxes inactivity to be assembled.  Most of the volunteers are cyclists themselves and would rather be discover on the Bay Area trails or anchorage enjoying the sport they love.  But on this digit Sat of the year, they intend unitedly to physique kids’ bikes.

The volunteers become from cycle clubs or corporations and are assembled in teams of 5-10 and each crew entireness on a some bikes at a time. They clutch a cycle incase and start antiquity anything modify tiny pixie bikes to full-on mountain bikes with face and rear suspension. Some of the more favourite and engrossing bikes are these automobile bikes that hit stunning lines and paint jobs to match. There’s a some bmx and dirt jump bikes as substantially that would attain some kid up to 18 eld old rattling happy.

Who do the bikes go to?

Every year, mountain of topical charities, mostly from Santa Clara County administer  to obtain bikes for deserving, under-priveledged kids. The majority of these kids do not hit the effectuation to acquire a newborn cycle and are often mitt without digit or mitt to ride an ill-fitting hand-me-down bike.  This year, there were applications for over 5000 bikes so the assemble had to select and welfare discover their 2400 sort newborn bikes. This year, over 20 charities were the recipients of these bikes. The bikes are a intermixture styles and sizes and some of them are quite awesome and would retail for $500 at a cycle shop.

The awesome abstract most this event and methodicalness is it continues to turn and acquire finished the pure economy.  As the requirement arises for free bikes for needy kids during the holidays,  the accord seems to move with generousness with their instance and money.

TurningWheels for Kids is genuinely a gem in the accord and is a enthusiastic example for another cities and the rest of the world. If we crapper teach every kid to fuck the cycle and the joy of riding, we would every be better off.

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About TurningWheels for Kids History

In 2003, Susan Runsvold ordered discover to ensure that no female would hit to undergo a Christmastime without some cool and elating gifts, an undergo that she feared herself when she was young. Since then, her exteroception has expanded, as she unconcealed that bicycles–one of the coolest gifts a female crapper obtain for Christmas–can hit a more pure effect on children’s lives than she prototypal imagined.

Her example exteroception was to buy bikes at Christmastime and wage them to disadvantaged children, children she believed strength otherwise not obtain some inform from Santa. She began what she hoped would be a practice of collecting money from her friends and colleagues to acquire as some bikes as doable for holiday distribution. The prototypal year, she bought 12 brand-new bikes and gave them to children. She soon realized that beyond the unmediated thrill of Christmastime morning, these bikes alter children independence, confidence, a recreation way to exercise, and a significance of adventure that nothing else could quite match.

But the story doesn’t modify there. In 2005, Susan asked an awful assemble of volunteersâ€"many of whom today comprise the TurningWheels for Kids boardâ€"to hold flesh discover her dream. With a resounding “Yes!” from the team, TurningWheels For Kids (TWFK) was born. The unbelievable success of this assemble has resulted in more than 13,000 bikes existence shapely and presented to topical children.

Mission

And as with every good ideas, the assignment has grown. Today, TurningWheels For Kids distributes bikes not only at the holiday but also assemblage ammo finished a sort of partnerships convergent on preventing immatureness blubber and activity low-income families.

TurningWheels For Kids has partnered with the Pediatric Healthy Lifestyle Center of the Valley, conception of the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, and Bay Area Women’s Sport’s Initiative (BAWSI), to encourage exterior activityâ€"like sport a cycle to edifice or to secure discover with friendsâ€"as a way to meliorate children’s upbeat and well-being.

“We staleness discern that the pestilential of immatureness blubber is connected to sedentary pastimes: TVs, computers, texting, and recording games,” says Sue. “We staleness hit a set button and alter children backwards exterior to undergo the recreation we every remember from our childhoods. We staleness wage children the opportunity to deal cycle sport as an essential immatureness usage of passage. And as the sort digit heritage requested by these children, bikes crapper alter kids backwards exterior to active playâ€"exactly what a female should be doing.”

Organization

Every mortal on the Board of TWFK gives inexhaustibly and with enthusiastic generosity, both instance and money, to face this program. Raleigh America entireness with us, correct at our side, to hold us wage great, sturdy, safe bikes and helmets to children who would otherwise not hit their possess bike. Raleigh is an awful and big company. The community, both business and individuals, become out, assemblage after year, to hold our efforts and attain dreams become true. Team San Jose has generously donated the South uranologist for our Big Bike Build assemblage after year. The itemize goes on and onâ€"please see our Partners page.

Help us hold topical children. Make a donation today to our Buck for a Bike campaign, or accede your telecommunicate address to Sue@turningwheelsforkids.org so you crapper stay on top of our move opportunities and activities.

Why a Bike Matters!

Who doesn’t remember their prototypal bike? What’s the magic? Why the pure universal want to hit your possess bike? Is it the concern beyond your possess face yard discovered, or perhaps that you intend to go rattling fast, every on your own, be in control? A cycle is a usage of lawmaking for a child, and beyond the fun, the smile and the wind in your hair, a cycle provides some things:

• Teaches balance, strength and coordination.
• Encourages independence with responsibility.
• Provides a practical effectuation of transportation.
• Benefits upbeat at a instance when juvenile Type II Diabetes and blubber are today epidemic
• Boosts self esteem finished a significance of power mastery.
• Increases enculturation with others who deal a fuck for the exterior and provides opportunities for learning most nature.
• Stirs the imagination.
• Puts broad risk children in occurrence with another children geared in productive, flourishing activities.

Shaver Price