5th Annual Build-A-Bike Event
Saturday April 17, 2010 at Hanna Park 11am - 6pm

Thank You for another successful year!

We collected about 439 donated new, used, and damaged bikes to create 359 fully operational re-built bikes. The children picked out a bike and brought it to trained bike mechanics from the community who taught the youth how to fix and maintain their bike. In addition, we partnered with Martin, Harding, and Mazzotti, LLP Attorneys at Law who graciously donated 200 bike helmets and AmeriChoice who donated 75 helmets. We had trained volunteers who fitted each child with a helmet – every child who received a bike also received a new helmet. We had well over 700 people attend. Additionally, 75 community adults and youth volunteered on the day of the event. Other corporate sponsors included BOCES – Tobacco Free Initiative, AmeriChoice by UnitedHealthCare, Gilroy, Kernan and Gilroy, Inc., Kiwanis Club of Utica, MVP Health Care, and Stewart's Shops. We could not run this event without the community support. We would also like to thank our donation drop-off sites who diligently kept collecting bikes for us! They are the Central New York Veteran’s Outreach Center, City of Utica Parkway Recreation Center, Utica Elks Lodge BPOE #33, Town of New Hartford and Whitesboro American Legion Post #1113. New this year we had the MVP Cycling Club run a bike safety rodeo and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provided free child ID card. See below for additional individuals and agencies who donated goods and services to help support our efforts.

Our Goals for 2011 are to:

• Find storage sites to collect bikes starting now for 2011
• Collect 400 bikes and new helmets
• Teach youth basic bike repair skills
• Offer a bike safety course
• Youth health fair regarding healthy living and outdoor activities

How you can help:

• Donate or become a sponsor. For a successful event we need to raise $15,000.00, which covers all event costs to keep it free for youth. Any donation amount will help. Donations are tax deductible.
  • Download our pledge card
  • Use our website donation button to make a credit card donation through PayPal
  • Call us at 792-2205
• Volunteer at the event! Helmet Fittings, Bike selector, Set up/clean up, Bike Mechanics and Station Monitors. Join us part of the day or the whole day we are happy to work with your schedule. We will also need bike repairs done the week prior of the event. Download our volunteer form or contact us directly.
• We need storage space! Drop–off and/or storage locations. We are already receiving calls to donate for next year and we have no space to store the bikes!
• Volunteer at the event! Safety Course, Helmet Fittings and Decorating, Bike selector, Set up/clean up, Bike Mechanics and Station Monitors. Join us for part of or the whole the day! We will also need bike repairs done the week prior of the event. Download our volunteer form on our website or contact us.
• Donations of new, used and damaged bikes and parts (tires, tubes, gears, brakes, training wheels, etc).

We would also like to thank these additional 2010 donors:

• Alan Miller
• American Red Cross of the Mohawk Valley
• Bagel Grove
• Bikes & Boards
• Black River Systems
• B & P Screen Printing
• Bon Appetite
• City of Utica, City Limits and Parkway Recreational Center
• Civil Air Patrol – Rome City School District
• Compassion Coalition
• Continental Auto Parts – Lany Carrasquillo
• Council Member – James Zecca
• Crash's Scrap Metal Inc.
• Dancers: Ritmo Caribeno Dance Troupe
• DJ - John Saollustio
• Fidelis Health Insurance
• Galaxy Communications
• Hannaford Supermarkets
• My Favorite Muffin & Bagel Café, Inc
• Nirvana Natural Spring Water
• Oneida Herkimer Solid Waste Authority
• Price Chopper Supermarkets
• Regent Broadcasting of Utica/Rome, Inc & Lite 98.7
• Scampone Real Estate
• Trenton Town Recycling Center
• U-Haul Co.
• Utica Fire Department
• Utica Police Department
• Utica City School District
• Wal-Mart
• Westminster Presbyterian Church
• WOUR - Genesee Joe