Trips for Kids Phoenix

Robson Elementary once again went riding with TFK PHX.  ‘This is such a great program that gets kids outside and riding that would not otherwise have the opportunity’, says Brandee Lepak, Executive Director of TFK PHX.

Kids from Robson Elementary, a Title One School in Mesa, AZ, got to get outside and enjoy Usery Regional Park from the seat of a bicycle on Saturday morning.  For many of these kids, this is the first time they have ever visited this park and it is only 20 minutes from their home.  Trips for Kids Phoenix makes it possible for these kids to have this experience by providing ride leaders, mountain bikes and helmets.  Depending on the skill level of the kids, the ride may take one to two hours.

Thank you Robson Elementary for letting us be part of your lives!

Trips for Kids Phoenix has an excellent partner in Gear Girls.  We are able to loan Gear Girls our fleet of mountain bikes for the summer and Gear Girls works with over 120 young women to teach mountain bike skills and trail stewardship.

Girls and women, when given the chance, make confident and inspired leaders, outdoor adventurers and trail stewards. But in a world where girls receive messaging from a very young age about what they can and cannot do, what they will and will not excel at, and where they do and do not belong, it is easy for girls to miss the opportunity to become strong and capable outdoorswomen.

When learning outdoor recreation and trail maintenance skills in a co-ed setting girls will frequently defer to the boys anytime they get stuck or need help with something. The boys step in and take over the task, while the girls shift into a disempowered background, never actually learning the skills. This isn’t anyone’s fault. It’s just what happens.

When learning these skills in a girls-only setting, these same young women learn quickly and grow confident enough to hold space in a male dominated arena and become leaders naturally.

Gear Girls uses mountain biking, trail work and snow sports to build confidence, outdoor competence, community and character in young women grades 4-8. Girls learn practical skills in trail building, mountain biking, cross country skiing and snowshoeing while absorbing lessons in mindfulness, teamwork, and determination that will prepare them for life’s bigger challenges.

Such a great morning on the Trials at Usery Regional Park.  The kids absolutely love mountain biking, but you can tell their fitness levels need a little work after being on the couch all summer.

Coming into my office and finding a check for $100 was a really nice surprise today!  Thank you David Fuller for believing in us and supporting our program.  We appreciate support like this more than you can know!  Thank you!

I just wanted to take a minute to say thank you to everyone who supports our Trips for Kids Phoenix program. All of your support is what makes it possible for these kids to experience nature while riding a bike. These photos are from a couple weeks ago when it was 118 degrees in PHX and they were riding in Williams, AZ. Thank you for helping me make this program work!

Our seasons run from the fall into the spring and then stop in the summer.  As you can see, we have had a great start to the year so far and we are already looking forward to the fall. We have worked with some really great kids and have been having a great time!

We are collecting bikes at Global Bikes in Chandler, AZ today and then driving them to the Hopi Reservation tomorrow afternoon.  So far we have a Uhaul packed with close to 60 bikes!  Thank you for all of the support!

Thank you Alan Lepak for your $300 contribution to Trips for Kids Phoenix after a long day of flipping burgers at the Global Bikes‘ Specialized Demo event. We would also like to thank everyone who kicked in for this great cause!