Bike drive helps kids in need

KITCHENER — Outgrown kids’ bikes can find new life with a new owner at a bike drive in Kitchener on Saturday.

The drive is being hosted by Cycling Into The Future, a local nonprofit group that offers cycling education to Grade 5 students.

“We want every single kid in the class to be able to participate,” said Philip Martin, executive director. “Some kids don’t have a bike.”

Last year, Cycling Into The Future gave 101 refurbished bikes to children in need.

“We think it’s important for kids to have a bike, not just borrow a bike for this program,” Martin said.

That’s where the bike drive comes in. People can bring used bikes suitable for Grade 5 students with 24- or 26-inch wheels to the Stirling Avenue parking lot of the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“We take bikes in pretty much any condition,” Martin said.

Volunteers refurbish the bicycles, which are then given to students in the training program whose families otherwise couldn’t afford to buy one.

“The kids who get these bikes, they’re so appreciative,” Martin said.

The student bike training program runs in the spring and fall. Families pay $20, half the cost of the program; the rest is subsidized by local governments and community sources. Those who cannot afford the registration fee can often get help from the child’s school.

“We start with a rules and safety session,” Martin said.

The six sessions include learning how to repair a tire, practising riding on the schoolyard and then heading out to a neighbourhood street “to teach them to ride as safe as possible,” Martin said.

In four years, more than 2,500 Grade 5 students have been trained to be safe cyclists. While much cycling advocacy focuses on infrastructure, Martin said, “education is also important and it’s kind of missing in Ontario.”