Trips for Kids™ youth biking program is a non-profit, volunteer organization that provides mountain (off-road) biking outings and environmental education for kids that would not otherwise be exposed to these type activities. Using bicycles as vehicles, their goal is to combine lessons in personal responsibility, achievement and environmental awareness through practical skill and the simple act of having fun. In order to grow the program, TFK founder, Marilyn Price, encourages local non-profit organizations to start their own Trips for Kids chapter. Trips for Kids National provides equipment, program materials, advice and encouragement to new youth bike programs throughout the United States and Canada. Click here for more information about the national organization.
FBA’s local chapter, Trips for Kids Orlando, was created in June 2007 under the leadership of Mighk Wilson. The Florida Planning and Zoning Association Central Florida Chapter (FPZA-CFC) donated $400 to purchase an additional bicycle for the fleet of equipment. FBA plans to expand the program into other parts of Florida.
See more photos! |
T.F.K.O. 1
Is riding your favorite mountain bike trails getting a bit stale? What if you could somehow see them through a new set of eyes? That’s what participating in a Trips for Kids mountain bike trip can do for the experienced adult cyclist.
Oh, and it seems to make a big impression on the kids, too.
Trips for Kids is a national organization dedicated to giving disadvantaged kids the experience of biking through the backwoods, and Florida Bicycle Association has started a chapter in Orlando. We held our first ride on June 7 on the trails of the Cross Florida Greenway at Santos, just south of Ocala. We brought six boys from Orlando’s Parramore Kidz Zone program (Parramore is a low-income, predominantly African-American neighborhood).
Seven adults came along for the ride; three of them mountain biking for the first time! (Thanks to Tom Punzak, Addey Hendrickson, Nikki Robinson, Karina Veaudry, Laura Hallam, and my wife Carol.)
The kids had great energy, and were quick studies on singletrack skills. After tackling nine miles of easy, yellow-blazed trails, we refueled at the trailhead and headed back out to challenge ourselves for another eight miles on the blue trails. (For those not familiar with mountain biking, those 17 miles are equal to about 35 miles on the road.)
TFKO currently has a fleet of six bikes; five donated by Trek as our “starter kit,” and a sixth made possible through a donation by the Central Florida Chapter of Florida Planning and Zoning Association. David’s World Cycle assembled the bikes for us at no charge.
We’re always looking for more help: especially adult ride guides, donations to purchase more bikes and equipment. The more of each we have, the more kids we can serve and the more trips we can make. To get involved contact Mighk Wilson.
Sponsors
Trips for Kids National
David’s World Cycle
Trek
Park Tools
Clif Bars
Florida Planning & Zoning Association; Central Florida Chapter |
