In recent months, GSF Foundation (GSFF) Committees in Charlotte, North Carolina, Frisco, Texas, and Irvine, California held Bike Building events to give local kids a new set of wheels geared toward fitness, fun, and a future filled with many rides ahead. Foundation teams around the U.S. have donated a total of 115 bikes this year and 8,251 bikes over the past two decades to children in need.
For the sixth consecutive year, Quality Custom Distribution (QCD) Charlotte volunteers participated in this core Foundation program, which provides elementary school children with their own, and often very first, bicycle. In March, the Charlotte team built 35 bikes and donated them to the Boys & Girls Club of Cabarrus County.
The new Foundation Committee at QCD’s corporate headquarters in Frisco organized its first bike building event in collaboration with the Plano Fire Department and Richardson Bike Mart. In early August, 50 students from Mendenhall Elementary in Plano, Texas had the opportunity to build their bike under the guidance of a GSFF volunteer mentor, who shared with each child the importance of fundamental life skills, such as goal setting, safety, the value of hard work, and healthy lifestyle habits like physical fitness.
“Mendenhall Elementary has over 70% of their students who need to participate in the free or reduced lunch programs,” said Betsy Kirchenbauer, GSFF Frisco volunteer and Regional Accounts Payable/Receivable Manager, QCD. “We previously partnered with Mendenhall on the Back(pack) to School and Best Foot Forward programs.Now, we’re collaborating on this bike donation with our business partners, as well as local organizations,that are providing goodies for the kids at the school!”
In July, GSF Irvine volunteers teamed up to assemble and deliver 30 bikes with helmets, locks, and more to one of Southern California’s Boys & Girls Clubs. Though this year’s Bike Building Program did not include the opportunity to mentor a child in building a bike together, associates did learn from one another how to successfully put together a two-wheeler. And, the teamwork did not stop there, as QCD helped transport the donated bikes.
“Volunteers completed the bike building on schedule, allowing our QCD truck to deliver the bikes Friday afternoon,” said Blaine Ung, GSFF Irvine volunteer and IS Business Solutions Manager. “Thank you to the QCD Fontana transportation team for supporting this delivery!”
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