A bike can mean a lot to a kid.
“It comes down to wellness,” said Brett Klein, chair of the Palm Springs Sustainability Coalition. “It also comes down to the ability to get from point A to point B.”
He used a not-so-hypothetical child who lives in the East Valley as an example.
“A kid may need to get to the Boys and Girls Club—and may need to travel three to five miles to get there, at a time when the parents are working,” he said.
This is why the City of Palm Springs Office of Sustainability, in conjunction with the Coachella Valley Bicycle Coalition and Sun Tran, is in the midst of a bicycle drive. The goal: To get more than 100 working, functioning bicycles to kids in need via both the Boys and Girls Club of Palm Springs, and the Boys and Girls Club of Coachella Valley, in Mecca.
The drive runs through Saturday, June 20. As of this writing (on Thursday, June 11), Klein said the drive, which kicked off in earnest on June 1, had garnered about half of its goal, boosted in part by a $3,000 donation by Trek Bicycles. He also said a local hotel/resort donated a bunch of old cruisers it had replaced with new bicycles.
Klein said used bicycles are more than welcome—so if you have a bike or two gathering dust in a garage, for example, bring it on down. New bicycles for children of any age are also appreciated, as are donations via cash or check (made out to “City of Palm Springs—Bike Drive”). All donations are tax-deductible, by the way.
The drop-off/donation locations:
• Hot Purple Energy, 810 N. Farrell Drive, Palm Springs
• Palm Springs Cyclery, 611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
• Palm Desert Cyclery, 77750 Country Club Drive, Palm Desert
• SunLine Transit Agency, 32505 Harry Oliver Trail, Thousand Palms
The kids in need will not only receive the bicycles donated during the drive; they will also all receive a bike lock and a helmet, in addition to a safety lesson.
For more information, visit healthyplanethealthyyoups.com.
Full disclosure: The Coachella Valley Independent is a partner in the bicycle drive. In other words, we’re donating time and space to help spread the word.