Bikes for Kids Utah is changing its model by phasing out yearly bike giveaway to focus on other projects around Utah that introduce children to bikes.
The group, now in its eighth year, is exploring the funding of a Bike Safety Park that could be used by schools and communities to hold bike rodeos and teach children safe riding skills, and earlier this year donated 20 mountain bikes to the new Utah chapter of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), a high school mountain biking league.
“It's been an amazing experience for us to give so many kids a chance to learn to ride with their own bike,” said Bikes for Kids Director Debbie Reid. “Now, we want to add to that legacy by building a place where kids can learn how to ride safely and enjoy the freedom that comes with being on a bicycle.”
Bikes for Kids Utah will have one final bicycle giveaway, though on a much more intimate scale than the organization's usual 1,000-bike event at Intermountain Medical Center. On May 31, the group will present approximately 200 bikes and helmets to Midvalley Elementary School students followed by a practice ride led by the school principal.
Moving forward, the charity's funds – including the ones raised in next month's Bikes for Kids Utah Stage Race in Herriman – will be used to help build a dedicated location for schools and community groups to hold bike safety rodeos and other projects. Bikes for Kids Utah is currently in discussions with the cities of Draper and Murray about possible locations and development.
“The bike safety rodeo we've held in conjunction with the giveaway has educated a lot of kids, but it's only a once-a-year occurrence,” said Bikes for Kids Board Member Glen Perry. “A permanent facility makes it possible to hold safety seminars virtually year-round and it's something that would be absolutely free for schools, rec centers, church groups, or anyone else who wants to teach kids the right way to ride.”
There is not yet a timeline for the safety park construction, but the sites under consideration are one along the Jordan River in Murray just east the I-215 freeway and one that would be part of the larger Draper City bike park complex, which includes a pump track, access to Corner Canyon bike trails and possibly a future velodrome.
“We're very early in the process and we're working hard to explore different options, locations and ideas to make this project successful,” Reid said. “Safety parks like this provide a great asset for communities, and we think the Wasatch Front is a perfect fit to make one available to our youth.”
