After 15 Years…
"Hey I know you," I said to the little boy smiling in my direction.
I hadn't seen JumA for a little over 2 years, he was at least a foot taller, and was missing a few less teeth, but the second I saw his unforgettable smile, the world around me seemed to shift. It was like someone gave a little bump to a turntable that was caught on a skipping record. "Hey Jimmy I know you too."
My smile grew as big as his.
I first remember meeting JumA at one of BBP's Mobile Fix-it stops during the height of the pandemic. We had closed most of our youth programming inside the shop and shifted to free outdoor mobile repair services in some of our key neighborhoods. I will never forget that day. The weight and scariness of the world was heavy, but the joy on JumA and his friend’s faces as they rode away on their newly repaired bicycles was a reminder of the hope and opportunity our bicycles create in the community. And, it was a reminder of the hope and value we all gain from sharing space and time with each other.
We provide helmets to every kid who receives a BBP bicycle and also make them available for free at our mobile fix-it stops. Some kids wear them, some kids, despite our best efforts, don’t. There are also cultural barriers that impact helmet use in many our refugee communities and communities of color. This is all to say, there is much to celebrate in this video, perhaps some feelings of freedom that remind you of your own childhood, and a couple of things we may need to let go.
After 15 years at the Boise Bicycle Project, there is still nothing that makes me happier than riding along side our community's kids. Since 2007, we've provided over 10,000 refurbished bicycles to children, and I've had the beautiful and honored privilege to meet and learn from most of them. Just this last weekend, I was honored to teach the safety class for another 20 kids receiving BBP bikes at our last Kid’s BASH of the year. All 10,000 of those kids (and counting) keep my proverbial record player moving over the skips. And some kids, like JumA, inspire me in a way I just can't describe. I guess they give me hope.
On October 15th, BBP will celebrate 15 years of work, joy, and hope in this community and the 10,000s of people, including you, that have made it all possible. And whether you’ve been involved with BBP since the beginning, or for only a week, it is important that you join us in this celebration. You are part of the BBP story, party of the beautiful and transformative work that’s been done, and part of the BIG important work ahead.
PLEASE JOIN US! GET YOUR TICKETS BELOW!
“Here’s to the past 15 and to the next!”
Ride on Boise!
-Jimmy Hallyburton