Youth Bike Adventures (volunteers needed)

thePINKster said:

I am very interested in this... i don't know if i can make the august date, but possibly the september one..?

pm me more info please!

~Chrissie

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At Youth Bike Adventures we take a group of inner-city kids on what is sometimes their first visit to an East Bay Park. We teach them the basics of safe mountain biking, provide a healthy lunch, and give them a helmet and a T-Shirt to take home. More importantly these kids get a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction from mastering the trails and the hills and their bikes which we also maintain and provide.

Every kid gets an adult BTCEB member guide who accompanies them throughout the ride. The guide explains the basics of trail riding and also shows them the beauties of the parks where we ride. Many trips in Wildcat Canyon and Tilden include a visit to the nature center and little farm in Tilden.

Please come ride with us and have some fun showing these kids a good time. Please RSVP Jeff Edmonston or 510-325-2417.

2006 Ride Calendar
May 6
June 10
July 15
August 12
September 16
October 28 - our annual Halloween Ride

We always welcome and encourage riders (BTCEB members or not) to come and ride with us to learn about the program and see how much fun we have. You do have to be a current dues paying member of BTCEB to be a " guide" for one of our youth riders.

Many of our rides are done with groups that don't have outings, this may the only opportunity for the kids and the group to take a trip. Often, it is their first experience in an EBRPD Park or open space. Come on out and watch as they open their eyes and see a new world.

BTCEB provides this program free to organized youth groups throughout the East Bay. We raise funds from businesses and charities that support youth outreach programs like ours. If you know of a kid or a group that could benefit, or a company or non-profit that might want to donate, please contact the Youth Bike Adventures Coordinator, Jeff Edmonston You can also phone 510-325-2417.

Well, unfortunately I got the email from Edmo that the YBA ride tomorrow had to be cancelled:

YBA Ride is cancelled!
Unfortunately, the agency we were going to ride with this month called
late this afternoon to tell us that there were no available employees
or volunteers to attend the ride and drive the van full of kids to the
park.
So the ride is off.
We haven't had this happen in quite some time, and it is sad. The
groups of kids we ride with usually do not have a lot of resources in
their programs, and events like these are usually a result of that.


I am putting myself on the calendar for the next YBA ride...hopefully I can start a trend to boost the numbers.

I usually don't have a very good volunteer count until about the Tuesday before. We are generally a little bit shorthanded as a rule.

********Begin canned response:

Things we try to stress:
Safety
Local kids in their local parks
Trail ettiquette
Having fun

I'm a bit pressed for time at the moment, but wanted to respond to you as quickly as possible. The best way for me to answer any specific questions you might have might even be a phone call. 510.325.2417

Common questions include:

Do I have to be a BTCEB member? - No, you do not have to be a BTCEB member to volunteer with Youth Bike Adventures. However, we hope that those who repeatedly enjoy our rides will help support the club which runs Youth Bike Adventures.

How much experience do I need as a MTBer? - Our rides are approximately 11 miles long and have some hill climbing, but require very little "technical" mtb skills. Our rides are generally designed to be challenging but do-able for inexperienced pre-teen riders

How long does the event last? - Each ride generally starts around 9:45 and ends at 3pm. This includes our free lunch during the ride. We welcome volunteers who can only attend part of the ride and may have to leave early. Every extra volunteer hour helps.

Can I bring my own kids? - Unfortunately we don't allow adult volunteers to bring their own youth with them. We are usually riding with 17-25 people total for an average ride, larger rides often become difficult to manage. In addition, we strive to have one volunteer for each youth rider. It results in the safest rides. Some exceptions have been made for mature minors who are strong independent riders.

Who pays for this? Do you get paid? We rely entirely on grant money which primarily comes from Red Oak Realty's ROOF awards, as well as grants from the Grizzly Peak Cyclists. In addition, many other local bike shops and companies who have supported us over the years. We are all volunteers who run the program because we love the responses of the kids and feel that we are responding to a need of the youth in our communities.


End canned response********

Volunteers needed this Sat! Oct 28th

We are gearing up for our last Youth Bike Adventures ride of 2006. This one will be at point pinole with a younger group of kids. They all volunteer at their schools in Oakland as crossing guards and are a really great bunch.

Will you come out and help make their day :thumbsup: ?

see ebparks.net for park info
Point Pinole
Meet in the parking lot at 9:45

let them know you are with Youth Bike Adventures for discounted parking.

Costumes encouraged.