Saturday, November 01, 2008

Bike-to-School Program Expands; thanks, Trek!

Trek Bicycle Corporation -- through its 1 World 2 Wheels(SM) initiative -- has made a major grant to Freiker, Inc., a bike-to-school program based in Boulder, Colorado. Freiker, short for "FREquent bIKER," will use the grant to expand its wildly successful program to communities and school systems hungry for a proven approach for getting kids to ride bikes as the primary method of getting to school.

"With Trek's support, we'll be able to expand into more communities across the country resulting in more riding, fewer car trips, and healthier kids," said Zach Noffsinger, Freiker's Executive Director. "Trek is to be commended for making a no-strings-attached gift -- they share our vision and we're grateful for their support."

Freiker plans to use the grant to expand nationwide. They have started this year off by adding a middle school in Eugene, OR, and a high school in Madison, WI. Visit their website to see if the Freikometer is right for your school. Since my daughter went to one of the pilot schools here in Boulder, Crestview Elementary, I can personally attest to how well Freiker works. The solar-powered Freikometer counts student riders (and this year, walkers too!) with an individual number tag that attaches to their helmet. This alone was enough motivation for my daughter; but to top it off, they offer prizes at the end of the year based on the number of rides completed by each child. The Freiker program builds good habits: that biking is good exercise, good for the planet, good for community, and good in almost all kinds of weather. Check out their website today! They will also gladly accept a donation to their program if you believe in the benefits of biking.

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