BIG BIKE BUILD
Kids Bike Lane’s 8th Annual Big Bike Build (BBB) on Saturday, December 2, was a success thanks to the support of the Alameda County Fairgrounds, Units Storage, and over 250 volunteers who gave their time to make dreams come true for 638 young people. Here’s a peek into some highlights of the event.
Bikes and Helmets: Thanks to the financial support of our sponsors and many individuals we were able to afford to purchase 638 brand new bikes and helmets for this year’s bike build. It’s always exciting to see the semi-truck arrive with all the boxes of bikes! This arrival signals the beginning of the BBB and it’s always fun to see the Fairground crew unload them into our building.
Volunteers: Boy Scout troops, church groups, bike shops, student service groups, families, and community groups all worked together to assemble 638 bikes, move the bikes, break down boxes, provide Quality Control, and load bikes into charity trucks. We are grateful for the support of over 250 volunteers who made our corner of the Fairgrounds feel like Santa’s Workshop on December 2.
The Alameda County Fairgrounds was our Event Sponsor. They donated two large buildings for two weeks. In addition to having staff available as needed to support the event they had a team of employees volunteer to help assemble bikes!
AT&T Pioneers, provided a major donation for new helmets for the BBB. They set up and served refreshmentsand lunch for the BBB, and covered the cost of the pizza for lunch, that they have done for several years.
Charities: 22 charities from Alameda and Contra Costa Counties received bikes and helmets this year. We’ve received thank you notes from happy kids and their parents.
A Volunteer’s testimony: One of the volunteers, who has helped in all eight BBBs said, “I live alone. I don’t have any decorations or a Christmas tree. Being present at this bike build is my Christmas. It means the world tome to be able to help at this great event. Thank you for bringing the spirit of Christmas to me. Knowing that morethan 600 kids will have a happy Christmas is what this is all about and I’m honored to be a part of it.”
