BOISE, Idaho — Volunteers spend countless hours fixing up old bikes with the help of donations and contributions from the community and it all comes together for a special day where kids receive their very own dream bike.
"Oh this is my favorite day of the year," said Benton Smith, the program director for the Boise Bicycle Project. " It’s the culmination of about three months of work, countless community partners and everybody getting a bike today is a direct deferral."
This year the Boise Bicycle Project gave away 634 bikes to children under the age of eleven. This provides kids with freedom as now they can ride to the park or to school.
"I remember when I got my first bike around the age of 10, it is such an formative experience," said Benton. "Suddenly, my world went from being one driveway to a few blocks which just felt like the expanse of the city at that time."
The block party provides children with a chance to get helmets, locks, lights and everything they need to ride. It also featured a riding course where kids where able to practice riding with mentoring from the volunteers.
"I love the bike because it is my favorite color," said Tabish who got a purple bike. "I want to say thank you."
The volunteers love this day because they get to interact with all the kids. Benton Smith wants these kids to know they just entered a community that enjoys riding and there is support from here on out.
"The intent has always been not only to give a bike to a kid and their family, but to introduce them to the shop," said Smith. "Let them walk through the space and learn about all of our programs because the truth is we don’t exist just to put bikes out where they are needed, we exist to teach people how to maintain those bikes."
The Boise Bicycle Project is always accepting monetary donations and if you have an old bike laying around or know someone that does bring it down to this non-profit and they will turn it into a dream bike for a kid next year.
