“I’m personally asking that you take the urgency and the importance of your ability to make an impact seriously.”

On December 19th, BBP will safely donate 500 bikes to kids during our 14th, and vastly different looking, Holiday Kids Bike Giveaway. The only way to make that possible is to close the shop. By activating 100% of our staff, and YOU our community, in new and innovative ways, I know WE can overcome what will likely be the biggest challenge we’ve ever faced. 

COVID-19 has limited our volunteer operations and our programs at the Idaho Department of Corrections that account for 100s of the bicycles we repair and distribute every year. But COVID-19 has not limited the need for bicycles. More so than ever, our bicycles are providing freedom, mental and physical health, community connection, and probably escape. The requests for bikes for children from our nonprofit partners are strong and growing, and that means we have a big gap to fill. 

Beginning next week, November 16th, BBP will close its doors to the public for all weekday shopping. We will shift all efforts to repairing as many kids bikes as our mechanics and limited volunteer crew can handle, as well as prioritize free bicycle repair for those with no other transportation options.

We will remain open for Saturday shopping (allowing 4 customers in at a time), we will continue Members repair times on Wednesday nights and Sunday days, and we allow weekday pick up for online bike and part purchases (new online store coming soon). 

Financially, this is a bad decision during a bad time for finances, and it will likely cost us over $10,000s in bike and part sales. But it’s also a decision that prioritizes our mission, and the people who need our services the most during this impossible time.

As always, there are ways you can help, and I’m personally asking that you take the urgency and the importance of your ability to make an impact seriously. It will look different, but we can come together safely to make a miracle happen for some kids, and our community at large, that could sure use any size of miracle.

5 ways You can help.

1) Holiday Kids Bike Giveaway Volunteer Opportunities/Orientation

This zoom meeting at 6pm on November 18th is the best way to discover the countless ways to volunteer (work on bikes, make/deliver food, gather warm clothing, call families…) for the Giveaway from home or at BBP.

2) Assemble a Volunteer Pod

On December 19th, we’ll be looking for families and friend pods to volunteer as a group at the Giveaway. This will help keep all aspects of the Giveaway contained to small teams of cautiously-minded individuals already in close contact with each other.

3) Collect/Donate Gently Used Bikes

We need bike of all shapes and sizes, but now more than ever, we need them to be in decent condition. If you can pump up the tires, wipe it down, tune what you can, or even drop it off at a bike shop first, it would be greatly appreciated.

4) Donate Funds

Adopt-a-dream bikes will be available soon enabling you to cover the cost of a specific child’s dream bike, but donations of any size are welcome as soon as possible. This year it will costs roughly 25% more to donate each bicycle because of all of the extra safety precautions being taken. We anticipate the entire event costing well over $30,000.

If you your business his doing well through COVID, please have them contact me ASAP to talk about sponsorship opportunities. jimmy@boisebicycleproject.org

5) Spread the News

We need to activate the entire community to pull this off. Tell your friends, family members, coworkers, anyone you’re in communication with… that we need their help.

Years from now, we will think back about this impossible time, and there will be bright spots. There will memories we cherish of when we didn’t give up on ourselves or our community in need. And we will know, that because we did hard things, impossible things to empower each other, we have all the ability in the world to do them again.

Thank you for all you’ve given, and for embarking on the hard road ahead.

Ride on!