BOISE, Idaho — Coming up this month, the Boise Bicycle Project (BBP) will once again roll out bikes to kids in the community as part of the 15th Holiday Kids Bike Giveaway, but they need your help!
The Holiday Kids Bike Giveaway will make 500 dreams come true and with COVID-19 still impacting Boise, BBP has some major obstacles including volunteer shortages, bike part availability, decreased bike donations and increased costs. There are just a couple of weeks until the bike giveaway on December 18 and there are several ways you can get involved to help out this year.
"We’ve been working hard with our community partners to get over 500 kids signed up for this year’s giveaway, and we’re noticing an amplified sense of urgency and importance," said Jimmy Hallyburton, Executive Director of BBP. "We’re hearing stories of kids and families about to slip through the cracks and a holiday season that isn’t looking very bright. We really have an opportunity to make a difference this year, and we desperately need Boise’s help to get these kids on bikes, smiling, and riding toward a brighter future. Please jump in however you can.”
BBP says they are in need of gently used kid- and teen-sized bicycles. Due to COVID-19, volunteer operations have slowed and partnerships at the prison that help fix kid bikes have been shut down.
The organization is looking for volunteers that can fix bikes at home or at BBP. Local bike shops are stepping in to help fix bikes, according to BBP. If you can't help by donating bikes or volunteering, you can adopt a dream bike and cover the cost of donating an individual bicycle to a specific child or make a general donation to support the event.
The 15th Holiday Kids Bike Giveaway is happening on December 18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Boise Bicycle Project.
Hallyburton will be live on Good Morning Idaho Tuesday to talk about the event and how you can help out.
