BIG BIKE BUILD

On December 3, 4, 5, and 12 we conducted our fifth annual Big Bike Build (BBB) 25 teams (each with 2-6 members) totaling about 150 volunteers assembled 470 brand new bikes that were distributed to 21 charities from Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. The charities in turn gave them to their family/children clients for Christmas. Each child that received a bike also received a helmet.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic we knew by June we would have to rethink how we would conduct our annual BBB. In order to conduct a safe BBB following all the protocols prescribed by the Alameda County Health Department we made many adjustments to our traditional BBB.

• The buildings we have used in previous years at the Alameda County Fairgrounds were closed and unavailable to us. Instead, the Fairgrounds management offered us open space under the grandstand to conduct our BBB.
• The BBB was scheduled over three days, instead of the one day of previous years, with small teams of families and social bubbles scheduled in one of three shifts for assembling the bikes. The areas for teams to assemble bikes were spaced out under the grandstand so there was more than six feet between each team.
• On the days of the BBB each volunteer had their temperature checked and signed a waiver indicating they were symptom free and had not been around anyone with the COVID-19 virus before entering the space for assembling bikes. In addition, each volunteer wore a mask and maintained a safe distance from others.
• Work spaces were sanitized between shifts and each bike was sanitized before it was moved to the QC area and then to the staging area.
• The 470 bikes were stored in a nearby secure building where they were staged to be picked up by the charities the following week.