It’s hard to believe the Holiday Kids Bike Giveaway is just one week from tomorrow. After weeks of talking about “the what ifs” among our team and publicly, with you, we feel we are now 100% ready for an event that is full of joy, gratitude, and generosity. And, of course, safety. It’s safety first, as they say.

A few weeks ago, we received an almost overwhelming amount of interest from you about volunteering at the event. We weren’t quite ready to answer all the questions. In fact, the questions really helped us create the safety framework for the event. As all the interest came our way, we knew we had to wait to create specific volunteer shifts until our safety plan was in place.

All that said, we finally posted volunteer shifts last Thursday, the 3rd. We’ve been a little surprised that after the initial rally for shifts, volunteer sign- ups aren’t quite where we thought they’d be. We’re at about 60% of the total folks we need for the event to succeed. I’ve asked myself: have we done a good enough job outlining the safety plan so that volunteers feel confident that this event is going to be a safe place to be? Maybe the answer is no.

A typical Holiday Kids Bike Giveaway is a frenzy of energy, with crowds occupying Lusk Street, BBP, and Dawson Taylor. You can look back on 13 years of photos of all of our volunteers and staff crammed into BBP for our traditional kick-off and group photo. That will not be this year’s event.

Similar to Boise Farmer’s Market, the 2020 Holiday Kids Bike Giveaway will follow a “drive-up” method. We’ll still have Lusk Street closed to regular traffic. But this year rather than being full of kids and families, it’ll be a block-long corral for cars to enter the event. Boise State University is generously lending us the commuter parking lot at the northeast corner of Lusk and Royal, and this is where the children will receive their bicycles.

Families are scheduled in strict 30-minute increments so that we have a planned and controlled amount of people down here at any one time. We’ve done double the amount of confirmations this year to ensure that families are clear on their "registration reservation” time.

After being checked in while still inside their vehicles, families will then be instructed to park in one of 10 specific parking spots. When it’s the child’s time to exit their car and receive their bicycle, a designated volunteer will greet them at their car and then escort them, at a distance, to the pre-assigned tent where they will receive their bicycle and safety accessories. Once the process is complete, the same volunteer who greeted the child will walk with them back to their car. Families will be asked to load bicycles into their vehicles themselves. When the family drives away, the volunteers wait as the next family is instructed to park.

All of the same bells and whistles we’ve had in previous years (take-home food, warm clothes to take home, and happy volunteers in Santa hats), will still occur this year. But there’s a safety and distance plan for each element of the event.

We assure you that you will be able to be 6 feet away from anyone you don’t live with. The event is entirely outside. Even though it’s winter, we know we can all bundle up to stay warm for the day. Wool socks are our friends. And, always an incredible partner and supporter, Event Rent has given us a hefty discount so that we can provide plenty of tents and heaters to keep us all warm.

We of course know that transportation barriers exist, and not all families have access to cars to drive down here. We have already assembled a group of volunteers who will deliver bikes to families who can’t make it to the event.

We’re particularly in need of volunteers who can help direct traffic in our neighborhood (this is a fun role because it mostly involves smiling (under your mask) and waving). We also need a few more families who reside in the same home to volunteer as one of our 10 “pods.” The pods are the bread and butter of the event. You work as a team to give the child their bike, teach them (from a distance) how to adjust their helmet, and see them ride their bike for the first time ever. You’ll even be providing some remote safe riding tips!

It does look like it’ll be a little chillier than the past two years. We’re looking at around 30 to 40 degrees and maybe even some snow. But please consider bundling up and joining us outside next Saturday for our 14th annual Most Special Day of the Year. The gift of your time is such a special gift on this day.