$500 – Teton Valley Community Recycling
With a partially funded grant from Youth Philanthropy, Pierre’s Pedal Project, sponsored by Teton Valley Community Recycling, will provide new helmets with every refurbished bike provided to children and adults in Teton Valley. This program’s mission is to ensure that everyone, regardless of age or income, has access to a bike and knows how to safely operate it.
The people of Teton Valley love the outdoors and a major activity here is biking for fun and transportation. Pierre’s Pedal Project is focused on helping everyone, regardless of age or income, obtain a bicycle. The project collects discarded bikes from the Teton County transfer station and donated bikes, refurbishes them, and provides them to anyone who needs one. They have seen great success in saving bikes from the dump and in getting bikes into the hands of kids. However, kids who can’t afford a new bike often cannot afford a bike helmet, an important piece of safety equipment for young riders.
A study, published in the journal Accident Analysis & Prevention, found that more than 2.2 million children ages 5 to 17 were treated in U.S. emergency departments for bicycle-related injuries from 2006 to 2015 (McAdams 2018). That equates to more than 600 cases per day, or 25 every hour. The universal use of bicycle helmets by children could prevent between 135 and 155 deaths, between 39,000 and 45,000 head injuries, and between 18,000 and 55,000 scalp and face injuries annually.
With 100% volunteer labor, this project has refurbished over 165 bikes and two bike trailers since starting in the spring of 2021. There are approximately 35 bikes currently in the restoration process. Well over 135 bikes from the transfer station scrap metal pile have been restored or parted out. Our finished bikes are being stored in the basement of our partner, Peaked Sports, who is also helping us obtain parts and tools; and will help us purchase kids’ helmets at wholesale prices.
During the Teton Valley Cares event, sponsored by the Community Resource Center of Teton Valley, on a single Saturday, the project gave away 12 bikes to kids and received requests for 12 more that we are working to fill. To date, the project has found new homes for 26 bikes.
Youth Philanthropists appreciated that helmets could be purchased at wholesale prices and would be offered to each person who is given a bike with a fitting and a “Pledge Card” that has them pledge to wear their helmet every time they ride their bike.
