Rotary grant helps Ride and Shine buy bikes for Upshur County kids

BUCKHANNON – A new local nonprofit was able to purchase two bikes for Upshur County kids thanks to a $1,000 grant from the Rotary Club of Buckhannon-Upshur.

Julia Kastner, founder and executive director of Ride and Shine Bikes for Upshur Kids, attended the May 5 Rotary Club meeting to thank members for their donation and explain what her nonprofit does.

“I’m a bike person. Ride and Shine Bikes for Upshur Kids is a new nonprofit I founded in November, and I got my federal 501(c)(3) paperwork approved in January,” Kastner said. “The mission of Ride and Shine is to get bicycles to kids who have financial barriers, so they can have what many of us think of as a universal experience of riding a bike around as a kid.”

The nonprofit serves elementary school-aged children from kindergarten through fifth grade who live in Upshur County.

“Their household must fall at 150% of the federal poverty level and below. So far, the only application I’ve turned away was one that was well outside of that defined population served,” Kastner said. “I haven’t had to turn away anybody who qualified yet, so the goal for this year was 20 bicycles, and I think we’re going to hit between 25 and 30. I think we’re at 27 bicycles.”

Kastner said they have about four bikes available, but they’re all the same size and meant for children who are 4 feet 2 inches to 4 feet 8 inches tall. Anyone interested in applying for the program may inquire about an application over the phone or in person at Mountain CAP in Buckhannon on Main Street, or call (304) 472-1500.

“You guys have helped purchase new bike shop-branded bikes, so that’s to be distinguished from Walmart and Target brand, big box store brand bikes are different,” Kastner said. “We purchased new bicycles, helmets and bike locks, and those are being routed to the kids in Upshur County.”

The bikes have been purchased from two sources: Joey’s Bike Shop in Elkins and Norco Bicycles.

“Joey is also selling me the helmets and the bike locks, so on average, we’re doing about $500 per child getting a bike and a helmet and a lock,” Kastner said. “The family fills out a very simple application, and then I call and talk to a parent. We’re doing a big giveaway event day this summer, on June 13. It’s taking place at the county park, which is behind the high school, where the bike trails are located.”

The children receiving a bike will arrive, fill out some forms and start by getting their helmet fitted.

“They will be fitted to their own helmet, the straps will be adjusted and they’ll be told how important helmets are, and then they’re going to go to a bike station and get a basic bike fit, to make sure we have them on the right size bike,” Kastner said. “We’re going to have some activities for kids on bikes and some tabling from community organizations, hopefully some snack food, and give them a minute to be with other kids doing the same thing.”

Updates about the new nonprofit can be found on their Facebook page. Donations can be made to Ride and Shine via the Tucker Community Foundation website.