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 45th 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 23rd 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