Thanks to 100BikesForKids and woom
Austin, Texas – April 8, 2021 Today, 100BikesForKids and woom deliver 30 bikes for students to enjoy at the Texas School for the Deaf.
When the pandemic hit, Juan Soto and his 9-yar old daughter, Lucero, decided fresh air to be the medicine a lot of kids needed who were stuck indoors. Together, Juan and Lucero embarked upon a mission to find bikes that weren’t being ridden to refurbish and and give them to kids who did not have bikes. They aimed high, to give away 100 bikes to kids, and named their project just that: 100BikesForKids.
“A bike means freedom for a lot of kids,” says Juan.
Within a short time, Juan and Lucero quickly gifted over 200 bikes, and were working to fulfill a request for bikes for kids who attend Texas School for the Deaf (TSD).
That’s when Returning the Favor got wind of the project and surprised Juan and his family on an episode where, together with woom, they made a generous donation of 50 bikes to the 100BikesForKids project. 30 of these bikes were set aside for the TSD request, and the remaining 20 bikes were distributed to kids and schools in the north Austin community.
“Our initial goal was to give away just 100 bikes, but now that we see a bigger need, we’re trying to take this as far as we can,” Juan said.
TSD students are excited about getting bikes. About half of the students who attend TSD are from towns and cities all across Texas, so kids stay on the campus Mondays through Fridays during the school year. These new bikes will allow students to get a break from indoor learning and give them the freedom Juan explained can only be gotten from a bike ride.
The school has plans in place that will teach students responsibility, how to ride, share, safely store, and properly care for their new bikes.
TSD Superintendent, Claire Bugen, is excited too.
“Our campus becomes super active in the spring, she says, and this is the perfect activity while we’re maintaining our safe social distances. After school staff and physical education departments are anxious to promote a student bike club and teach bicycle safety.
“Kids love riding bikes, but it’s not something TSD has been able to provide for the students when they’re here. We are grateful to Juan, his family and woom, for giving students at TSD a way to stay healthier and happier. We’ve got plans in place to take care of the bikes and keep them safely locked up so they’ll be here for students for a long time to come.”
About 100BikesForKids
Our focus is to get kids on bikes, free of cost, while promoting the values of recycling, sustainability and community. We started this project as a way to give back. Even today, there are many kids who don’t have a bike, or have never had one. We want to change that! What started as five donated bikes from friends and neighbors has grown to 100+. Visit 100BikesForKids.org to learn more.
About woom bikes USA
We are on a mission to empower children to fall in love with riding a bike. We realize this by selling and donating high-quality, lightweight bikes specifically designed for kids and providing the education and tools to learn how to ride and properly maintain cycling equipment. woom is the best-selling children’s bike brand at retailers in Europe and the #1 online retailer for children’s bikes in the US, where we operate the business as direct-to-consumer. In 2020, for the second year in a row, woom bikes USA was recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest-growing companies in the United States, ranking #637 in the country, #26 in Texas, #11 in Austin, and the fastest-growing consumer products and services company in Austin. Check out us.woombikes.com.
About the Texas School for the Deaf
The Texas School for the Deaf (TSD) is the oldest continuously operating public school in Texas. Educating students of Texas who are deaf and hard of hearing since 1856, the campus also provides outreach and educational resources for students, their families and professionals in the field throughout the state of Texas. With educational excellence and a strong belief in a culture and community at TSD, students form a unique identity based on their individual strengths and talents. TSD is an environment where students learn, grow, and belong. For more information, visit: tsd.state.tx.us.