Bike fitting at Bike Swap/photo courtesy of Bike Works
Saturday Genesee Park was the site of the 14th annual Kids Bike Swap. Hosted annually by Bike Works, the swap is a culmination of a year's preparation by staff and volunteers. Designed to mitigate the barriers to bicycling for many families, Bike Swap offers bicycles for trade and minimal cost. It's an opportunity for families and children to come together be fitted for a bike and possibly trade up from what they currently have.
Additionally, this years swap offered a mini bike rodeo, riding instruction and helmets. Several volunteers from Seattle Children's Hospital gave away about 100 helmets, all that they had brought. Each rider receiving a helmet was properly fitted and showed the correct way to wear one so it would protect them.
Bike tuning while you watch/photo courtesy of Bike Works
Davey Oil, Bike Works' Adult Programs and Volunteers Coordinator described the success of this year's Kids Bike Swap as "Unparalleled." Though Kids Bike Swap has been popular and had a large turnout since it began, this year's was even better, about 250 families attended according to Oil. "About 350 people got new bikes and around 325 were swapped. This is partly due to the upsurge in bicycling popularity in Seattle, and especially the growing interest among parents to keep their children active and healthy. Bike Works youth and adult volunteers prepped 182 bicycles over the course of nine months for this year's event.
When asked what was especially notable about Kids Bike Swap, Oil added that some families returned year after year. As an example he shared about one family with two children who have easily participated for five or six years. The older of the two, now ten, is participating in Bike Works' Earn-a-Bike program.
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According to Oil, This family is such enthusiastic about bicycling that they hold "bike expos" where they display different varieties of "family" bikes and answer questions about family bicycling, especially where it is a way of life and involves general transportation. Though Bike Works mission is focused on recycling bicycles and bicycle education, Kids Bike Swap is one day a year that encapsulates the entire program.
For more info: For more info: See previous article: Boeing grant fuels collaborative effort to connect community with light rail through bicycling.
As well, because a fluke in the weather, King TV opened their 10 o'clock news with their coverage of the event. Here is the 5 pm coverage.
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