Trips for Kids will celebrate 25 years of serving at-risk youth with an evening gala and auction from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Sunday May 6, 2012, at the Mill Valley Community Center in Marin County, CA.


Hosted by Doug McConnell of Bay Area Backroads, the program features a keynote address by Shimon Schocken, an Israeli computer scientist and visiting professor at Stanford University, distinguished TED Speaker, and founder of the Rides of Hope mountain bike club of Mizpe-Yam, a juvenile correction facility located near Tel Aviv. There will also be a 25-year retrospective of the Trips for Kids program by founder, Marilyn Price.


The live auction portion of the event is expected to draw both generous patrons and a captive audience of cycling fans. Noteworthy auction items include:



  • Robin Williams Autographed Bianchi San Jose Bike

  • Santa Cruz Juliana mountain bike donated by World Cup Champion Juli Furtado

  • Four-day Western Spirit Cycling mountain bike trip for two to the White Rim in Canyonlands National Park

  • One week stay at a beautiful 10-acre Sonoma County vineyard estate

  • Specialized Globe Daily Commuter Bike

  • Primal Wear custom cycling kit

The event will also feature a silent auction with an extensive collection of bike-related and other valuable goods and services from Camelbak, Kirkwood Resort, Bay Club Marin, Napa Valley Bike Tours, Monterey Bay Lodge and more.


The widespread achievements and growth of Trips for Kids' outreach comes with an increasing price. Sixty percent of the funding for Trips for Kids comes from the sale of donated merchandise through its Re-Cyclery Thrift Shop – perhaps the largest bicycle thrift shop of its kind in the country. Located in San Rafael, Calif., this green business is a community center for affordable and environmentally friendly transportation.


Trips for Kids relies on financial donations to pay for organization expenses not covered by Re-Cyclery Thrift Shop profits. Proceeds from the 25 Anniversary Celebration will boost the expansion of Trips for Kids' award-winning programs into more communities across the country.


To make a donation, please email info@tripsforkids.org, call (415) 458-2986, or visit www.tripsforkids.org. Event tickets are available for purchase at www.tripsforkids.org/marin/events.htm or www.tinyurl.com/TFK25.


In the last 25 years, Trips for Kids has led more than 90,000 underserved youth on mountain bike adventures across North America. Each ride builds confidence and teaches valuable life skills as youths dig deep for strength to climb mountains. At the same time, youths are taught to appreciation nature and better appreciate their roles as caretakers of the environment.


Modeled after its flagship program in Marin County in the San Francisco Bay area, there are now 74 Trips for Kids chapters across North America working together to take low-income, inner-city, or otherwise at-risk youth on mountain bike adventures. In March of 2012, Dr. Schocken's Rides of Hope mountain bike program joined Trips for Kids as an honorary chapter. Their synergy with Trips for Kids will help advance their common cause. To learn more about Dr. Schocken and Rides of Hope visit here.


Former youth participants confirm the impact of Trips for Kids on their lives.


“I had never been into the woods before and I could feel the difference in the air – it was thin and fresh,” said 19-year-old Edwin M. “I had asthma as a kid and I could really feel the difference. I still love to go out on the trail now.”


“It was the best time I ever had,” said 23-year-old Vianney G. “I remember every single bit of the trip and will for the rest of my life.”