What is the Holiday Bike Drive?

Each December, the Community Cycling Center provides 500 children with their first bicycles, new helmets, and basic safety education. It is a huge, community-building event that we work toward all year long and culminates in one amazing day in December.

Who can receive a bicycle?

The Holiday Bike Drive is designed to benefit children ages 3-8 from low-income families. In 2009, the children who attended Holiday Bike Drive came from families who earned an average annual  income of $14,712.

When does registration happen?

Registration details for 2010 will be announced on this page this fall. Our 2009 partner agencies are listed on our 2009 Partners page.

Why do we do it?

Since 1980, the percentage of obese children ages 6 to 17 has almost tripled. Oregon’s obesity rate, 21% of the population, has nearly doubled since 1990. Recess and physical education time during the school day has been steadily reduced and children are now being prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs. We work to curb this trend by supplying children with the tools they need to begin exercising early and safely.

Bicycles aren’t limited to recreational uses; a bicycle can be a means to outdoor activities, sustainable transportation, independence, and self-reliance. In a nutshell: we believe a bicycle can be much more than a toy.

How do we make it all happen?

Holiday Bike Drive bicycles are donated by community members at more than 15 bike collections around the Portland Metro region throughout the year. This year, over 1,000 volunteers will dedicate more than 5,000 hours to help collect, clean, and refurbish the bicycles as well as guide children through bicycle safety activities on the day of the event.

At the Holiday Bike Drive, a team of volunteer instructors will present a structured education program that teaches children and their parents basic bicycle safety, ranging from helmet placement to rider visibility and bicycle handling.

City kids don’t just need a bicycle, they also require safety accessories like helmets and reflectors, and most importantly, they require instruction on how to ride near and on roadways. Legacy Emanuel Hospital generously donates helmets for every new rider and training for our volunteers on proper helmet fitting techniques.

Last year, our volunteer interpreters helped teach these lessons in Somali, Russian, Vietnamese, and Spanish.

How can I help?

Help give a child her first bicycle, a new helmet, and safety education this year!

1. Make a tax-deductible donation directly to the Community Cycling Center

Online using our secure system; mail us a check; phone in a credit card number; or stop by our shop.

2. Give the gift of a bicycle with a Bike Gift Card

This holiday season you can give two gifts at one time. By purchasing a Bike Gift Card for a loved one you will be sponsoring a child at this year’s Holiday Bike Drive. Each gift card features a picture of a happy kid on a bike and will include a hand written note thanking the recipient for helping to transform a child’s life. You can purchase a gift card by calling Breesa at 503.288.8864.

3. Organize a Giving Campaign

A giving campaign gathers motivated and passionate individuals together to support a common cause. It’s fun, makes a big difference, and we make it easy by providing all the materials you need. This is especially fun and effective at work – mobilize your coworkers to help give bikes to kids in need! What you need to do:

• Promote the campaign - we will send you all the materials.
• Organize a meeting or distribute giving envelopes and gift card order forms.
• We will then follow up with a letter to your group with a summary of your success!

Call Breesa at 503.288.8864 for materials.

4. Donate a Bicycle

Bicycle donations are tax-deductible and can be dropped off at our shop during open hours. We also organize collections all over the Metro area. We greatly appreciate gently used bikes, with a specific need for small youth bikes. We suggest a $5 donation for each bike to help cover the cost of processing the bike.

5. Volunteer Your Time

The Holiday Bike Drive could not happen without the help of hundreds of volunteers. We have received a tremendous amount of support for this year’s event, and have already filled all 250 volunteer positions!

Who else has helped?

Holiday Bike Drive is a community effort in every sense of the word. Besides the hundreds of individual donors and volunteers, many local businesses help promote the event and make it special for everyone involved. We thank these organizations for their incredible support.

All photos above by Kim Oanh Nguyen.