One of the Duluth Area Chamber’s Leadership Duluth service project teams hosted a free bike clinic event for area youth at YMCA Harbor Highlands Community Center on Saturday afternoon.
The Ready Set Ride project aims to reduce barriers to outdoor access by repairing bikes and teaching bike skills to youth in the Harbor Highlands and Greater Central Hillside neighborhoods. Hillside neighborhoods had the opportunity to fix their bikes with professional mechanics, borrow a bike from a fleet – if they didn't have their own – and enjoy some free food and while hanging out as a community, all while learning new bike safety skills on an obstacle course.
The Leadership Duluth project team, in partnership with the Duluth Area Chamber Foundation, raised about $7,000 through direct and in-kind contributions to the Duluth Area Chamber Foundation to fund the Ready Set Ride project.
These contributions have funded:
• The installation of a permanent bike repair station and a new bike rack in the Harbor Highlands neighborhood
• Bike locks and helmets for youth in the Harbor Highlands neighborhood
• Consumable bike supplies such as chain lube and tire tubes for the YMCA Harbor Highlands Community Center
The Ready Set Ride project is a partnership between the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce, the Duluth Area Chamber Foundation, a Leadership Duluth service project team, the Harbor Highlands YMCA Community Center, local businesses (thank you Ski Hut and Continental Ski & Bike), the City of Duluth’s Love your Block grant, and over 40 individual and corporate donors who have made this all possible through their generous contributions to the Duluth Area Chamber Foundation.
Additional donations will be used to purchase additional bikes for kids and donated to the Harbor Highland Community Center. To learn more about the Duluth Area Chamber Foundation and/or to contribute, please visit: www.duluthchamber.com/foundation.