Trips for Kids
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GOLD MEDALIST On a mountain two tough, streetwise teenagers talk. One shares he had been into a "heavy" scene, has scars all over his back as proof, and would be "dead by now" were it not for Trips for Kids. Since 1988, TFK has provided life-altering experiences using the bicycle—a vehicle kids dearly love—to introduce low-income, at-risk youth to the natural world of our state and national parks. More than 16,000 kids from 340 San Francisco Bay Area schools and youth service agencies have experienced healthy exercise in nature on a TFK ride. Another 2,600 kids have participated in TFK earn-a-bike programs. Additionally, 68 TFK chapters across the U.S. and internationally have used the successful TFK model to promote physical activity to over 56,000 kids. TFK’s health, fitness, and nutrition education promote enduring wellness in needy California kids. While having fun, these lessons steer children in the direction of opting for long-term nourishment and exercise. TFK’s mini environmental education lessons also plant the seeds of environmental stewardship to ensure lasting access to California’s natural areas. All this happens on enjoyable day-long trips guided by caring adults and in the earn-a-bike workshops. Moreover, at TFK’s inception, only a handful of philanthropic ventures existed in the biking world. As a social conscience of the mountain bike industry, TFK’s Re-Cyclery Bicycle Thrift Shop has received donated goods valued at over $2M since the thrift shop started. This makes TFK rare in the non-profit world in that Re-Cyclery annually generates a stable 54% of TFK’s organizational expenses—$353,188 in revenue last year. And TFK gives back; over 1,000 bikes and truckloads of bike parts have been distributed to other local nonprofits TFK makes a big difference by introducing a viable fitness alternative, ensuring kids stay active, and showing youth there are people who care. |
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