BIKES FOR BEDFORD ROAD

Student spearheads donation

Caitlyn Kirkpatrick is an avid bike rider — it’s how she gets to school every day. However, she has noticed a lot of fellow students at Bedford Road Collegiate are unable to find transportation.

“So I thought, ‘Why not promote cycling at Bedford?’ ” she said.

Kirkpatrick contacted Care and Share, which rents bikes to elementary schools, and it donated some of its older models.

Seven children sent in applications explaining why they needed the bikes and how they would pay it forward, and all now have wheels.

“At Bedford, we’re a very close community and we often try to promote good in our school,” Kirkpatrick said, adding the program also promotes a healthy, active lifestyle.

“It’s really exciting. It’s awesome to have everyone be able to access this method of transportation and be able to have a plan for the future in helping their friends or the rest of the school to get active as well.”

Two students who received bikes are Syrian refugees who arrived at Bedford just a month ago. Sisters Christine and Joelle Romeah haven’t ridden bikes since they were small children — women don’t ride bikes in Syria.

“This bike will help me to (see) more of Saskatchewan and the neighbourhood,” Christine said.

The sisters will also be able to help run errands for their parents, who don’t have a car yet.

At Bedford, we’re a very close community and we often try to promote good in our school.

“And it’s good to ride a bike for health,” Christine said.

Joelle said the bikes will also help them get to school.

Assistant principal Dwight Kirkpatrick, Caitlyn’s father, said during his five years at Bedford Road, he has noticed the “huge disadvantage” some kids face in getting to school.

“I think it’s a great idea when our own students want to come up with a solution to meet some of the needs of their fellow students,” he said.

“We have a lot of needs and there are a lot of people who want to help, but you always need somebody who can bring the two together.”