Two students at Dr. Daniel Bright School received donated bikes for Christmas through the Bicycle Advisory Committee.
The BAC is run by Yavapai County Community Health Services and is chaired by community health education coordinator Jen Mabery. The BAC is a community committee that works to improve safety for cyclists and provide education to community members on bicycle safety and skills.
They also aim to get kids on bikes and to teach them safe riding skills. Dr. Daniel Bright School has a bike club as part of their afterschool program, which is also run by YCCHS and Mabery and meets on Wednesdays.
“It’s so important for us to get kids on bikes, or anyone on bikes, for good, healthy, active transportation, sometimes even basic transportation for some folks,” Mabery said.
Mabery said that she had refurbished bicycles to give away and worked with staff to decide which students would receive them. BAC member Rich Leever had acquired the bicycles and fixed them up with the help of the Verde Valley Bicycle Company.
The school principal and staff evaluated which students were in need, would benefit from the lifestyle of having a bike, would fit the size of the bicycles, showing that they were trying academically or behaviorally and trying to be good citizens.
One student who received a bike was already in the bike club but had a broken bike for some time. The other student is not in the bike club, but Teddy Armstrong, district coordinator for the Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District, said that he wants to be now.
“The one boy looked over at his dad and said, ‘Santa doesn’t need to bring me anything now,’” Armstrong said. “His dad was so grateful. I felt really honored that I got to be there and see that firsthand.”
The students were also given certificates so that if something happens to the bikes, they can take them to Verde Valley Bicycle Company to be repaired at no cost.
Each campus in the CottonwoodOak Creek School District has a volunteer-led bike club.
“We’ve taken kids who don’t even know how to ride a bike and by the end of the year, they’re doing trail rides that are six miles long,” Armstrong said. “We live in a beautiful area where there’s lots of trails and kids can be doing safe, healthy activities.”
“Thank you Jen [Mabery] and Rich [Leever] for the support you give our schools and putting kids on bikes,” Armstrong said. “We love our community partners.”
Mabery said that many members of the BAC are active in repairing unwanted bicycles. The BAC is working on how they can acquire more donated bikes and how to get them out to community members.
Residents who are interested in donating a bike in fair condition can contact Jen Mabery at jen. mabery@yavapaiaz.gov.
