LET FREEDOM RIDE.

Bicycles represent the first taste of freedom for many children. Yet many kids don’t have access to a bike, making that freedom little more than a dream. The Boise Bicycle Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to changing that for children in the Treasure Valley by fixing up donated bikes and giving them to needy families. Recently the Meridian Branch Leadership Team held an employee bike drive to collect bikes for donation to the Boise Bicycle Project so local kids could get the chance to experience the freedom a pair of wheels can provide.

All told, employees stepped up to donate more than 50 bikes to the cause, a number that thrilled Boise Bicycle Project volunteers. “The people [at Boise Bicycle Project] were jacked when Toby Miller [Regional Service Manager] and I dropped off the bikes,” Alex Freter, Product Support Sales Manager, said. “And from our perspective, it was really great to see everyone at Western States jump in and give their full support,” he said.

The chance to help needy children even sparked a little bit of creativity. Freddy Hernandez, Parts Consultant, went around to local Goodwill stores and purchased bikes to donate. His willingness to think outside the box so he could chip in with a huge donation shows the caring spirit so prevalent among Western States employees.

In coordination with the bike drive, the leadership team held a family bike-ride event following a catered lunch from Goodwood BBQ. Around 50 people attended the event, with a high number of children present. And, when the final finger was licked clean, the BBQ leftovers were delivered to Boise Bicycle Project volunteers. The culmination of these kind gestures will eventually lead to local children experiencing the rush of the wind in their hair from the saddle of a bike. Let freedom ride, indeed.