the skills to ride them.
(View slideshow below)
Today at Legacy Emanuel Hospital in North Portland, 519 kids received a special holiday gift: a new bicycle.
Culminating over 5,000 volunteer hours over the past year, the Community Cycling Center’s (CCC) Holiday Bike Drive was once again a big success.
Speaking at a brunch for supporters before the kids arrived, CCC executive director Susan Remmers said, “We hope today is about possibilities. This event is what we’re all about…it’s at the very heart of our mission.”
There was no shortage of heart at the event today; from the 350 volunteers, to the kids’ first pedal strokes on their new set of wheels.
All the families who took part were pre-selected by over 60 partnering social services agencies and school programs. Many of them have fallen on hard times and can’t afford a bike, others simply need something to keep their kids active.
Along with being able to choose a new bike, all the kids received a new helmet and took part in a bike safety rodeo course before setting off into the snow — and a future that’s a little brighter now that they’ve got the freedom to ride.
For more of the faces and scenes that make this event such an important part of our community, view the slideshow below:
Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.
*Note: Yesterday afternoon, a truck backed into the wall of the CCC’s headquarters on NE 17th Ave. The impact severely damaged their offices and they must move immediately. No one was hurt. Story and photos coming soon…