You can help! Local parent seeking bucks for bikes so more kids can ride

(Photo courtesy Theresa Beaulieu, from 2013 “Denny-Lincoln Classic” ride)
It’s a matter of health, safety, and fun! Denny International Middle School parent Theresa Beaulieu is trying to get more kids on bikes – and is hoping you’ll chip in:

For the last couple of years, I have been working hard in trying to get more students to ride their bikes to school. We have a very long backup of cars that pull in and drop their kids off in the front of the school every morning and I would like to see less cars and more bikes and walkers. We have been awarded Safe Routes to School mini-grants through SDOT for the last two years that have given us the funds to host Doughnut and Fruit days for kids who ride their bikes. These days are to encourage them. We also were able to have our new annual Denny-Lincoln Classic family bike ride that we started last year, that included t-shirts for each rider, designed by a sixth grader.

I have been working with the Major Taylor Project coordinator to get a cycling after-school program started to teach students the rules of the road, how to ride safely, and bicycle maintenance. This would be a similar program that they have going on at Chief Sealth, our shared-campus high school. This could also lead into an earn-a-bike program in the winter months. The idea is to start the kids off at Denny on Mountain bikes and then they could transition to the road bikes they have at Sealth. I was encouraged after reading the reports about the Kimball Elementary teacher who raised over 20K in funds to purchase the whole school with Seahawks jerseys so I started my own GoFundMe site. … Our school consists of many students from low-income families who don’t have access to bikes. This would give those kids and other kids the opportunity to ride. The bikes we want to purchase will be used for the after-school program and offered for the Denny-Lincoln Classic bike ride to students who have taken the after-school class. They would be stored at the school and maintained by the students themselves.

So if one community could raise $25,000 for jerseys, certainly ours can muster $8,000 for bikes! Here’s the link again. And there’s a deadline now – the money needs to be raised by March 15th to get the program started this spring.

birdrescuer February 7, 2014 (10:40 am)

Will you accept bikes as donations?

Elephant in Room February 7, 2014 (11:49 am)

It would be nice if there were an educational campaign directed to the parents of these kids regarding safe driving practices around people of all ages using bicycles. The aforementioned “long lineup of cars” dropping kids off also creates hurried, impatient and distracted drivers often operating large SUV’s and minivans outside the limits of the law and common sense.

Be mama February 7, 2014 (3:30 pm)

Yes! Worthwhile. Giving now.

Theresa February 7, 2014 (3:32 pm)

@birdrescuer – We would gladly accept a bike donation but would be used to give to a student rather than for this purpose. The after school club is designed to teach students how to ride safely in and around the neighborhood. We are seeking to purchase a fleet of bicycles that are new so that there is very little maintenance so there is more time to ride.

Theresa

Best Seattle February 7, 2014 (3:57 pm)

@Theresa

Where would be go about donating bikes?

cruzer February 7, 2014 (4:04 pm)

Instead of a handout, I hope the program helps kids earn their own bikes!

Mike February 7, 2014 (9:51 pm)

Elephant in the Room, I agree with you that parents of the schools could use some education on driving safely. They can also learn to respect the local neighbors who end up being blocked by them while they decide to block driveways when they park.
.
However, “often operating large SUV’s and minivans” is not really accurate. Being a person that lives right next to one of these schools, it’s mostly Subaru wagons and sedans. There are very few SUV’s and minivans. Try not to profile people in SUV’s and Minivans as bad drivers, it’s just pure bias.
.
To the idea of new bikes for kids to ride to school, maybe contacting local bicycle companies can provide a group discount?
Some local bike companies:
.
http://www.seattlebikesupply.com/brands/
http://www.konaworld.com/contact.cfm
http://www.raleighusa.com/contact

Laura February 8, 2014 (4:18 pm)

When I started reading this article, I thought it was a great idea. But, and correct me if I am wrong, you are asking for donations not to give kids bikes, but to buy bikes for an after school bike safety and maintenance program ? Who will keep the bikes once the program is over? Will they stay at the school for next year’s program?

Theresa February 8, 2014 (11:18 pm)

@ Best Seattle – you can contact me directly at theresa0003@gmail.com and we can work out somewhere to meet up.

Theresa February 8, 2014 (11:21 pm)

@Laura

We are looking to purchase new bikes that would be stored and maintained at the school. The bikes would be used for a series of 6 week courses that would run through-out the year and each year going forward. Chief Sealth High School which shares our campus with us has the same program. You can find more information at http://www.cascade.org/major-taylor-project.