Christmas 2012 Bikes for Brains
On December 10 at the Martin Luther King Center, we are hoping to give bikes to over 100 needy children selected by Head Start, the Early Childhood Centers, Children's Therapy Center, Youth Hope, Winnie's Place and The Project.
Each donation of $50 grants a young child a bright, shiny bike, training wheels and a helmet!
Give whatever fits your budget. All donations are appreciated!
Please make your check payable to
Bikes for Brains
c/o Queen's Parlour
171-19th Avenue
Moline, IL 61265
For more information, call Sandy at 797-1160. Thanks!
Sponsored by
Bike 'N Hike
The Pilot Club of Moline
Queen's Parlour
The Rock Island County Regional Office of Education
Announcing the Launch of the 2012 Bikes for Brains Campaign
A proud dad watches his son ride a new blue bike complete with training wheels. The four year old has a smile as big as the moon. He can't believe the shiny new bike and Spiderman helmet is his. How could that happen? Mom and dad are struggling each month to pay the bills; they can barely afford to put food on the table, how they can afford a new bike? The answer: Bikes for Brains.
Thanks to the joint effort of Bike 'N Hike, Queen's Parlour, The Pilot Club of Moline, and the Rock Island County Regional Office of Education (ROE) more than one thousand children have received their first bike because of this project. Sheila Burns, with the ROE, says this special program is successful because of a loyal group of folks who donate every year. As soon as the fundraising goal is announced each year donations start coming in. A bike with training wheels costs about $50, but as the commercial for a popular credit card says, the memories made on the bike are "priceless".
Chris Swanson, a local dad who knows how priceless a bike is, says his son loves to ride his bike and he calls the Bikes for Brains program awesome. "My son got his bike two years ago and still rides it. I love that he gets outside and moves around rather than sits inside all the time. I know there are many families that cannot afford a bike right now and this program makes it possible". Swanson says it may be time to get his son a new, bigger bike, but instead he asks where he can make a donation to help another boy get the thrill of his young lifetime. "I want to donate this year to help another kid get a bike because I know what it feels like to receive the free bike and helmet".
Donors can contribute any amount toward a bike. Donations can be dropped off or mailed to Queen's Parlour located at 171-19th Avenue in Moline.
Monday, Dec 10th is the day the bikes are given away to families in need. 66 bikes will go to children in the ROE's 33 Early Childhood Classrooms and the bulk of the remaining to Rock Island Head Start families. Some of those families are recent immigrants and refugees from war torn nations. Children in those families tend to be slightly older and need bigger and more expensive bikes. The group will also be gifting qualified children identified by the Children's Therapy Center, Youth Hope, Winnie's Place, and The Project. The giveaway is from 11:30 AM to 5:30 PM at the Martin Luther King Center located @ 630-9thStreet in Rock Island. Anderson's Bookfair Company in Aurora, Illinois will also provide several gently used books for each of the children. And the Pilot Club of Moline will provide helmets and safety lessons via a puppet show throughout the bike giveaway day.
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