“It was SOOOO awesome! I had already been commuting by bike off and on for a couple years, but the course made me feel much more confi dent in my skills and knowledge.”
We would like to thank Logan Kiefer for putting on a wonderful fundraising event at the Post. His talent, drive and focus will take him far. While looking at the art, I had to keep on reminding myself that high school students were producing such a high quality of work.
Salt Lake show lets teen artists display their talents — for charity
By Molly Farmer
SALT LAKE CITY — Logan Kiefer brought 38 of his fellow teens together for an art show Thursday and Friday so they could display their creative talent and raise money for a worthy cause.
It wasn't for school credit. It wasn't for a merit badge. The collaborative, charitable effort was just something the soon-to-be senior at Olympus High felt compelled to do.
He sought out friends who liked painting, mixed media and sculptures as much as him, then contacted the Bicycle Collective, an organization that promotes biking in a variety of ways.
"I chose the Bike Collective because of the community aspect of it," he said.
Located just a few blocks from Universal Post Studios, where Kiefer's art show was held, the cycling organization makes bikes accessible to people who otherwise couldn't afford them, in addition to supporting other bike-related pursuits.
"I just think that's fantastic," Kiefer said.
A donation box for the Bicycle Collective was set up at the show entrance, and 10 percent of the proceeds from art sales went straight to the organization.
Self-portraits, photographs, abstract watercolors and meticulous oil paintings filled the studio. Teen artists, their friends and parents milled around, admiring pieces and talking inspiration.
Sydney Bowman, Kiefer's art teacher, was proud.
"He took the initiative," she said, "and then he just ran with it."
Many of the 150 works of art on display were created by students of Bowman, who said she has wanted for years to hold such an event to showcase the talents of her pupils.
Jonathan Morrison, executive director of the Bicycle Collective, was glad to get the word out about his organization and grateful for the donations attendees placed in the pitcher next to him.
Volunteers and donations are "our bread and butter," Morrison said. "We wouldn't be around if it wasn't for the tremendous support we get from the community."
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 31 August 2010 20:26 )
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Incoming Westminster College students fanned out to Sugar House and beyond Tuesday, performing community service projects to ring in the new school year.
Stephanie Tomlin, a senior who started a bike club on campus, led a group of freshmen on a ride across town to the Bicycle Collective on West Temple, a shop that offers transportation and education to low-income families and at-risk youth. The students repaired bikes that will go out to local charities.
"It's a good way to get them out in the community," Tomlin said. She said the ride to the shop also showed freshmen they could bike in the city instead of driving.
Shop Manager Gary Hurst coordinates our near and dear friends to search for spare parts and cash donations so we could build and surprise our very deserving Executive Director Jonathan Morrison with this road bike pictured above. Sweet carbon fiber Motobecane complete with bacon wrap handlebars!
Jonathan: I had just finished a long ride with friends on a borrowed road bike the weekend prior. They dropped me, but I still had a great time. So I came into the shop on Monday thinking about actually owning a road bike for the first time in a long time. When I expressed that to Gary he just nodded and walked away. Minutes later he emerged with one of the greatest surprises I have ever had. I still get teary eyed recalling it. I love the bike, don't get me wrong, but what brings those tears is that a group of people I care for dearly MADE it for ME. Just incredible. Just incredible. I still don't feel like I deserve such an honor. So I want to thank all those involved who contributed parts, cash, and were able to keep it a real secret. Especially Gary for coordinating it.
I can only hope the people we are giving bikes to feel that same euphoria, because if they do, they will never forget it.
If you ever wonder why the Collective exists, why so many people volunteer their time, money and bikes... this should clear up any confusion.
These were hand written letters from bike recipients of our Bikes for Goodwill Organizations program, but as a courtesy we removed the names.
Dear Bicycle Collective,
I wish you could have been there when I dropped the van load of seven bikes to this eager family in Kearns, because much more deserve the icing-on-the-cake satisfaction of seeing pure joy and gratitutde in children.
3-year-old _____ saw her wildest dreams incarnate when I lowered the tiny pink bike with white wheels and _____ (6) plus _____ (5) rode around with the glee of Christmas morning exlaiming "I really like my bike!" over and over again.
The older three kids kept it cool but couldn't completely supress their smiles.
These are their thank-you letters. Self conscious of their spelling, the older kids trusted in oldest sister, _____, to be their scribe.
And from the Road Home a sincere thank-you for this service - it truly makes the liver of our homeless clients better...and more fun!
Gracias,
Jared Clark
The Road Home
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 18 August 2010 20:31 )
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Grab that old bike and give it new life. Donate your old bike or bike parts to this worthy charity that provides refurbished bicycles and educational programs to the community, focusing on children and lower income households. They accept bikes in any condition, especially adult road bikes, kid's bikes, parts and tires. All donations to the Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective are tax-deductible. Go to the self serve kiosk at REI SLC Customer Service, fill out the paperwork and turn it in with your bicycle donation to any CS representative. They'll take it from there. Unfortunately we're not able to accept helmets or stationary (exercise) bicycles.
We are looking for some friendly folks to volunteer as greeters at the Community Bike Shop. As people come in the shop, simply introduce yourself, welcome them to the shop, find out what need, and re-direct them to the right place (which we will train you on), and a little friendly goodbye to finish. That's it. Nothing crazy. You don't even have to be mechanical, in fact we would prefer if you weren't -- we have a shop manager and volunteer mechanics to handle all of that.
So if you are a social butterfly who loves meet people and be friendly -- please take a look at our shop schedule and contact Gary Hurst (801-755-3279) to schedule a night.
We are honored to be providing Valet Bike Parking for the following organizations and events this summer. Ride your bike to each of them, volunteers will make sure it is still there when you get back:
Weekly Events:
2010 Twilight Concert Series (Thursdays: July 8th - August 26th) Volunteer Shifts: 4:00pm-7:30pm, 7:30pm-10:30pm
Sugar House Farmers' Market (Fridays: July 9th - October 16th) Volunteer Shifts: 2:30pm-5:30pm, 5:30pm-8:00pm
Volunteers Wanted: We always need reliable volunteers to help fill volunteer shifts at these events. Frankly, there isn't an easier volunteer duty than to watch bikes while in a park with beautiful music, food and people. It just doesn't get any better. Be warned, we may reserve some of those sold out Red Butte show volunteer slots for our all-star volunteers.
Last Updated ( Thursday, 22 July 2010 15:37 )
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Tim Bochnowski, founder of Mountain Velo LLC, will be offering a FREE Intro to Bike Fit class as part of our Monday Night Park Tool School on June 21st. Answer the age old questions of, does my bike fit? What can I do to make it fit better? What bike is right for my body type?
A little about Tim:
Starting at a Schwinn & Trek store in 1986, Tim has raced, repaired, fit, sold and lived bicycles for over 25 years. Completing his first triathlon in 1986, Tim went on to become an accomplished cyclist, competing in many triathlon, road, mtb and track races. Today, in conjunction with a busy family lifestyle, he has dedicated himself to providing his clients with the very best in bicycle brands, services and fit solutions.
The "Bicycle. Body. Community." mantra defines Mountain Velo...
We would like to publicly thank the eBay Green Team successful [and fun] fundraiser which brought in over $1,200!
In particular we would like to thank JD Norton, Ken Vance, and Lorin May of the eBay Green Team for organizing the event. We would also like to thank Matt at Blackbottoms, Salt City Sprints, Levi Elder at UtahFM.org, Casey at the W. Lounge, Josh & Richard at Gutherie Bicycle.
Check out the eBay Green Team's flickr account for pictures of the event!
League of American Bicyclists Awards Salt Lake City Silver Status as a Bike Friendly Community
On April 28, Salt Lake City was awarded Silver status by the League of American Bicyclists (LAB), a leading bike advocacy organization, in their spring 2010 Bicycle Friendly Communities (BFC) awards. Sixteen new and five renewing cities were named Bicycle Friendly Communities. Salt Lake City along with Flagstaff, Arizona, were the only two communities to move from Bronze to Silver status.
Salt Lake City received Bronze status in 2007 based on its commitment to bike friendliness that began close to 25 years ago under Mayor Palmer DePaulis in partnership with the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee (MBAC). Following this designation, the City furthered its initiatives to become more bicycle friendly. The MBAC put forth the Silver City Initiative to promote new ideas for bike friendliness and to address feedback from reviewers of its 2007 application. Major components of the Initiative included extending the Complete Streets Policy, increasing police department outreach and enforcement, holding an annual bike summit, hiring a bicycle and pedestrian coordinator, and increasing expenditures on infrastructure improvements.
Help us support one of the hottest film talents in Utah -- enjoy a local bike film premiere by Davey Davis (Dada Factory). Not only is he a volunteer that is near and dear to the collective's heart, but he is also one of the masterminds behind the incredible 337 Project documentary. We can't wait to see the film.
The Salt Lake City Public Library and the Bike Collective are pleased to announce the opening of the Day-Riverside Bike Shop to the public for the 2010 season. This satellite location hosts an open workshop at the Day-Riverside branch library (1575 West 1000 North) on Wednesday nights from 6:00-8:00pm.
The workshop offers replacement tubes and patches, cables, and a full set of tools. Anyone is welcome to walk in for minor repairs such as flat tires, basic tune-ups, brake and derailleur adjustments, or component replacement if you bring your own components. We also offer a small team of volunteer mechanics who would be happy to advise on any repairs, and help locate parts if needed.
We also plan to work on some special projects this year including Road 1 safety courses and building Low Rider Bikes. Yes, you read that right. Spoke rims, sissy bars, the works. If anyone is interested in helping out with the workshop contact Clinton Watson 801-594-8632. Happy riding!
We are featured on Gavin's Underground, the extremely popular City Weekly Blog!
Photos by Gavin Sheehan
"Gavin: For those who may not know, what kind of services do you offer for cyclists?
Jonathan: For cyclists we have Do-It-Yourselfer nights at our Community Bike Shop, where anyone can learn how to work on their bikes using our expertise, tools, and even basic parts. We also have free formal Park Tool School classes on every Monday night from 6-7. During the summer we can be seen providing Valet Bike Parking services for various community events like the Farmers' Market. Ride your bike there, leave it safe and sound with us, and volunteers will make sure it is there when you get back. Last summer we parked over 5000 bikes. For kids, we have an Earn-a-Bike program and a Trips for Kids program. We partner with various after-school programs to offer these, but the gist is simple. In TFK we bring the mountain to the kids, and show them the natural beauty of the Wasatch front through mountain biking. In EAB, kids pick out a bike to keep, but they have to take it apart and rebuild it from scratch in order to earn it. Of course we are always looking for people to volunteer for each of these programs."
To promote cycling as an effective and sustainable form of transportation and as a cornerstone of a cleaner, healthier, and safer society. The Bicycle Collective provides refurbished bicycles and educational programs to the community, focusing on children and lower income households.
