Category: kids bikes

Sharing Wheels Community Bike Shop wrapped up its kid bike donation project toward year-end. The program’s goal is to provide complimentary bikes to qualified low-income families throughout Snohomish County. The shop scheduled 30 evening work parties, split between Spring (May and June) and Fall (October through mid-December). The work parties, three hours each, averaged six volunteer mechanics, a full house each night!

A joint work party was held on November 18, two hours, as a training exercise for North Middle School students enrolled in the shop’s Youth Bike Club Fall class. The program educates its cohorts of students to be safe and self-sufficient bike riders. The session was attended by the students and also their parents.

Two additional work parties were hosted by friends’ groups on weekends. One was the Cascade Bicycle Club’s NERD riders (Northside Evening Riding before Dark) who have helped us in prior years.

Sharing Wheels donated 207 bikes this year, fully a third more than in 2024! The volunteer hours worked totaled 789, a quarter more than last year. Thus, the effort has become ever more efficient…! :) 

In the Spring effort, the shop provided 74 bikes to six partner organizations:

• ChildStrive – 2 bikes
• Domestic Violence Service – 6 bikes
• Everett Housing Authority – 21 bikes
• Refugee & Immigration Services Northwest – 26 bikes
• Take The Next Step – 9 bikes
• Volunteers of America – 10 bikes

133 bikes were delivered to Christmas House in Everett. This was the 45^th year for this organization that provides seasonal gifts to low-income kids up to 18 years old throughout Snohomish County. Approximately 38,000 presents were given out to more than 7,100 children in over 2,500 families … Sharing Wheels – in its 23^rd year – has partnered with them for many years.

“It Takes a Village”

We thank the many people who contributed in lots of ways to make the program a success again this year:

• The Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians for financial support.
• The Sharing Wheels Community Bike Shop Board of Directors also for financial support for the program. Additionally, individual board members for personal contributions:
  • Claudia Douglass for continuous help hosting evening work parties and with bike mechanics.
  • Colleen Norcott for help at work parties, locating bikes to work on, and for arranging the helpful partnership with Brooklyn Brothers Pizza in Everett.
  • Lou Rivetti for hosting work parties.
• The Sharing Wheels staff, all contributing to the program:
  • Eric Andryc & Andrew Longstreet, our professional mechanics, who provided technical expertise at all of our evening work parties!
  • Henry Cotter, Digital Marketer, who assisted with our website calendar and sign-up platform to register volunteers to staff our events, and also for taking and providing photos.
  • Andy Gordon, Executive Director, who hosted Spring work parties and provided administrative support.
  • Ed Roos, former Program Manager, who worked as liaison to the six Spring partners receiving bikes and gave other administrative support.
• Tony Simonelli for hosting half of the evening work parties. Long a lynchpin volunteer, Tony offered organizational and mechanical skills to the program. He also assisted in transporting bikes.
• Trek Bicycle Redmond – Trek Redmond made its usual crucial contribution to the program. Via the store’s liaison to our shop, Service Manager Andrew M, Trek donated quantities of lightly used bikes in great condition that our volunteers were able to quickly refurbish and provide as wonderful gifts to Snohomish County kids. They gave us spare parts, sold needed new parts at a discount, and enlisted the help of other Trek bike shops in the area to support us, as follows:
• Trek Bicycle Tukwila/Southcenter – Kimberly G also donated attractive and valuable Trek bikes to our kids’ program during the year.
• Trek Bicycle Issaquah – Wes M similarly donated bikes and parts for the Fall program.
• Bike Works Seattle – Rebekah Ko, Community Resources Director, donated quality kids’ bikes toward the Christmas House effort.
• Christmas House President Gregg Milne donated storage space on his property to hold bikes during the year pending delivery to the Boys’ & Girls’ Club in December and also helped transport bikes.
• Landlord Ted S likewise allowed us to store bikes in the shop building pending delivery to Christmas House. A great convenience to the program.
• Nothing Bundt Cakes in Mill Creek generously donated scores of bundt cakes for the work parties and year-end celebration.
• Brooklyn Brothers Pizza @ Everett. Their staff worked as mechanics in the evening and brought hot pizzas with them for the events!

Thank you

And many, many thanks go out to the following volunteer mechanics. Some are tried and true regulars and some new recruits to the program, staffed the evening work parties in 2025:

Aaron T, Alan A, Amaani A, Andreas O, Andy G, Anna W, Barbara S, Bob D, Carter W, Christy C, Claudia D, Colleen N, Colleen S, Derrick L, Don A, Danilo D, Ed B, Lyssa S, Gary L, Gordon A, Ian S, Jeff A, Jeff Si, Jeff St, Jerry C, Jill W, John T, Jon P, Josh C, Julian N, Kathy M, Keashia G, Kelly M, Kevin A, Kevin M, Kristen C, Lance D, Landon M, Larry W, Lauren U, Lou R, Malis W, Mark S, Martin L, Mitch M, Nina K, Paul C, Pete P, Rusty A, Ruth N, Sean U, Shannon L, Steven F, Tim M, Todd R, Tom L, Tony S, Uma P, and Yury R.

Our volunteers who have worked hard to gift kids with bikes this year. They can know they have done a fine job meeting that goal. We look forward to repeating that success in 2026!

Reported by Larry Williamson – Work Party Co-Host

written by Ed Roos, Sharing Wheels Program Manager

Sharing Wheels has been busy getting kids on bikes! Earlier this year, Sultan Middle School‘s Sultan-Sky Mountain Bike Club received a donation of nine well-loved (and very rusty!) bikes. Assistant Principal Kim Gilreath reached out to Sharing Wheels, who eagerly accepted the challenge. Despite the bikes being in rough shape—think rust, weeds, and missing parts—Sharing Wheels mechanics spent over a month meticulously restoring them. The result? Nine safe and reliable bikes ready for the club’s adventures. Gilreath was thrilled, as you can see in the picture below!!

Sharing Wheels’ commitment to cycling extends beyond mountain bikes. When Gateway Middle School in Everett needed help with special education trikes, Sharing Wheels partnered with Clinton Grove of Seattle Trike. Grove expertly repaired the trikes, ensuring accessibility for all students.*

And that’s not all! Sharing Wheels recently signed a maintenance contract with Everett Schools to keep their 65-bike fleet, donated by the Cascade Bicycle Club through WSDOT’s Move Ahead Washington program, in top condition. The bikes are used for the elementary school “Let’s Go” learn to ride program.

Finally, Sharing Wheels is investing in the next generation of cyclists by launching a Youth Bike Club. Our first group of Youth Bike Club students has been learning about parts, tools, safety, and self-confidence as we build skills over 8 weeks together. These North Middle School students are enthusiastic hands-on learners (and snack eaters).

To Sharing Wheels, youth bikes represent more than just transportation; they’re vessels of possibility. They will carry these kids on grand adventures, build their confidence, and connect them to the joy of riding. In a world that often feels uncertain, the simple act of getting on a bike can be a powerful reminder of the freedom and potential that lies outside our doors. Thanks to the dedication of our skilled volunteers and staff, these students now have a chance to experience that joy firsthand, one pedal stroke at a time.

*Editor’s Note: Clinton started his professional bike shop career with us here at Sharing Wheels (about 2017?). We’re so glad he’s still part of our community bike shop.