ATLANTA, August 11, 2021 – Free Bikes 4 Kidz Atlanta has been awarded a matching grant in the amount of $15,000 from The Outride Fund for its work to make youth cycling in Atlanta more accessible and inclusive. .
The local nonprofit was one of 53 cycling organizations nationally to receive funding from Outride, which focuses on organizations that empower their local communities and improve diversity, equity, and inclusion for youth riders.
Together, Free Bikes 4 Kidz Atlanta and Outride will bring the joy of cycling to more youth in the metro Atlanta community. To date, Free Bikes 4 Kidz Atlanta has provided more than 3,500 bikes to kids-in-need, providing a pathway to health, happiness and opportunity.
Its sustainable model is a three-part process: 1) the public donates gently used bikes 2) volunteers clean and refurbish them 3) bikes are distributed directly to kids in underserved communities through our partner organization network.
“We are so excited to have received this grant and will use it to increase our impact and the number of recipient organizations and children that we work with in Atlanta,” said Dawn Hill, Executive Director of Free Bikes 4 Kidz Atlanta. “There is nothing as empowering as the sense of independence and pride a child can gain riding a bike, and our mission is to share that with as many children in Atlanta as we can.”
“Our grant programs are designed to encourage and cultivate diverse cycling communities,” said Andy Cunningham, Ph.D., Outride Program Manager. “We welcome applications from any and all individuals seeking additional support to empower youth riders. We are especially excited to fund projects that allow organizations and communities to increase diversity, be that racial, gender, low socioeconomic, or sexual identity (LGBTQIA) participation in cycling programs.”
This year Outride awarded more than $500,000 in matching grants to more than 50 organizations across 30 states. The Outride Fund grant is a dollar-for-dollar matching program that supports projects related to youth cycling, including education, youth rider development, bike-cooperatives, earn-a-bike programs, trail projects, bikepark builds, and pump track construction.
About Free Bikes 4 Kidz Atlanta: Free Bikes 4 Kidz Atlanta is the local affiliate of a national non-profit organization geared toward helping all kids ride into a happier, healthier childhood by providing bikes to those most in need. Since its founding in 2016, Free Bikes 4 Kidz Atlanta has given away more than 3,500 bikes. For more information on the Atlanta affiliate, visit fb4katl.org.
About Outride: Founded in 2014, Outride is a 501c3 nonprofit whose research, cycling programs, and grant giving activities, improves the cognitive, physical, and socio-emotional well being of youth. Outride’s programs and partnerships advance equitable, inclusive, and healthy futures for youth — one bike rider at a time. Learn more at outridebike.org.
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Free Bikes 4 Kidz Atlanta Media Contact:
Sprague Paynter, Free Bikes 4 Kidz Atlanta
Email: sprague@fb4katl.org
Phone: 404-561-0421
Outride Media Contacts:
James Nixon
Lien Johnson