Wish for Wheels Build/Gives are About a Lot More Than Bikes
September 30 was New Bike Day in Moab, Utah. For a town that’s internationally known as a biking mecca, that might not seem like a big deal. But it was. These 113 new bike riders were second-graders at the community’s two Title I schools, Helen M. Knight (HMK) Elementary and Moab Charter School — most of whom had never before received a new bike and helmet. Thanks to local businesses and community members, a typical Monday in September was transformed for eager new bikers — and even for bikers who were a little uncertain.
After some instruction and encouragement from Build/Give Program manager Jerry Farmer, the 60-plus corporate team givers had fun building the bikes. Then came the magical part: Giving the bikes to very excited children. Helping the kids pick out their bikes, fit their helmets and adjust bike seats before sending them happily pedaling across the playground was about as gratifying as it gets.
I watched as dozens of children gleefully pedaled about on their shiny blue bikes. As a volunteer for Wish for Wheels, I tag along when I can to help at Build & Give events. Usually, I take photos or help break down bike boxes for recycling. But today the teams were so busy helping the kids that I was asked to give a new bike and helmet to a second grader. The next recipient in line was Vivi. As we introduced ourselves, Vivi seemed very excited to get her new bike.
“Have you ridden a bike before?” I asked.
“Oh yes!” she answered. “I ride all the time!”
Vivi and I walked over to the grassy field where many of her classmates were already cruising about on their bikes. She stood patiently as I adjusted the chin strap on her new helmet and moved the enormous velvet bow that held her ponytail in place so I could fit her new helmet snuggly on her head. With that important task accomplished, Vivi hopped on her bike — and immediately toppled over.
Still grinning, Vivi got right back up and was ready to try again.
Vivi was tall for a 7-year-old. Maybe the seat was too low? With help from another volunteer, we adjusted the seat height. Vivi smiled as she climbed back on her bike. This time I held the back of the seat to support her, but once again she struggled to keep her balance.
Sky, a team member from Synergy (the day’s core corporate sponsor), stepped in to give encouragement, and I was grateful for her help. We took turns supporting Vivi on her bike and providing her with tips to get up and rolling. For the next 20 minutes, Vivi tried to ride her new bike, but despite our best efforts, she continued to struggle.
“This is SO hard!” she cried. Tears filled her big brown eyes.
“Riding a bike IS hard,” Sky said softly. “But I know you can do it if you keep trying!”
Brigid, Sky, and Vivi
As Vivi wiped tears from her eyes, a classmate approached her and gave her a hug. Despite her frustration, little Vivi kept trying to ride her bike. At Sky’s suggestion, she even named her bike Blue Beauty.
When the teacher called her students in for lunch, Vivi and I pushed Blue Beauty to the secured holding area where the bikes would remain until the kids retrieved them at end of the day. Vivi gave Blue Beauty one last wistful look.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it, Vivi,” I said, looking into her eyes. “Just keep trying.”
Vivi managed a smile and then hurried off to lunch.
At Wish for Wheel’s Build/Give events it’s easy to focus on the joy children experience as they ride off on their new bikes. But Vivi reminded me that learning to ride a bike is hard. Learning to do anything that throws you outside your comfort zone is a challenge. We need those challenges to provide us with confidence building experiences.
Fact is, there are a lot of kids in Title 1 schools, like Vivi, who have never had a bike or the chance to learn to ride. A recent survey found that an average of 17.3 percent of students either don’t know how to ride or have low biking confidence. The survey also reported that on average 16.5 percent of students don’t have access to a bike at home. And that number goes up to almost 22 percent among students who live in high poverty areas.
I hope Vivi learns to ride Blue Beauty. I hope her dad or mom help her master the feeling of balance and freedom so she can propel herself down the street or across the lawn. But even if biking isn’t her thing, I hope Vivi carries with her the knowledge that people in her community care about her and her classmates’ physical and emotional wellbeing.
At the end of the day, 113 children went home with new bikes and helmets. This week, some may even be riding those bikes to school, exploring the beautiful Moab trails, or practicing their skills on the local pump tracks. Receiving a new bike can transform the life of a child. On September 30, we witnessed the transformation happen to Vivi and all of her classmates at HMK Elementary and again at Moab Charter School. But even more than that, those 113 kids know that their community cares — and that’s the true magic that happens at each and every Wish for Wheels Build/Give event.
