(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)
The Lumberyard Bike Park has announced a new partnership with the Madison South Neighborhood Association to fund free passes for local high school students.
The Lumberyard is located on NE 82nd Ave, right across the street from Madison High School. At the suggestion of people in the neighborhood, The Lumberyard has set up a special fund that anyone can contribute to. As the fund fills up, The Lumberyard will set aside park passes and admission to after school programs at no cost for selected Madison High School students. The Lumberyard says they’ll match all the funds raised by the community, and Madison High administrators and teachers will choose students based on factors including attendance and academic performance.
Liz Wilson, Vice Principal at Madison High is happy to have The Lumberyard so close. “The Lumberyard is a great place for students to ride after school, and the ride scholar award provides a unique opportunity for us to incentivize kids to stay in school and work on their grades.”
“This is good for the community, good for our small business, and good for students,” says The Lumberyard co-owner Will Heiberg. “We want this to be a place for everyone, especially for the neighborhood kids, and this is a great way to make The Lumberyard more accessible.”
A standard ticket to ride at the indoor park is $24.95 ($29.95 on the weekends) and a two-day pass is $49.95.
Donations to the new program can be made online in increments of $25, $50, or $100.
In addition to offering good students free passes to the park, The Lumberyard is also set to launch an After School Skills Program. Kids will get one-on-one instruction from expert coaches on everything from rolling over obstacles, riding walls and narrow rails, catching air, learning to work the pump track, and more. There will also be bike games, bike maintenance instruction, and even feedback sessions where kids can see video of themselves in action and learn how to improve their form.
The skills programs are open to all skill levels and ages 9-18. The cost is $175 (The Lumberyard’s new scholarship program will offset that cost for chosen high schoolers) for a 10-week session that begins September 17th and runs through November 22nd. Call (503) 252-2453 or sign up at The Lumberyard (2700 NE 82nd Ave).
— More info at LumberyardMTB.com.