ELYRIA, OH – More than 300 bicycles were donated to the City of Elyria at the 2nd Annual Bike Donation Drive in partnership with the Elyria Bicycle Education Center on Saturday, May 15.
“This level of support is another testament of the people we have in our community and their willingness to support one another.” shared Mayor Frank Whitfield. “I’m excited to see young people and families get out and ride around our city and parks and explore Elyria. The Ely LIFE project is all about showing what our city is made of and the type of people and this is another great example.”
This month, there are two (2) volunteer preparation days where interested individuals and/or organizations can serve to help organize, sanitize, and begin refurbishing donated bicycles from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at West Park Garage, 1200 Foster Avenue:
- Saturday, May 22
- Saturday, May 29
The official 2nd Annual Build-A-Bike is on Saturday, June 5 from 9:00 a.m. through 1:00 p.m. at West Park Garage, 1200 Foster Avenue in Elyria. Volunteers are encouraged to bring any relevant tools and/or spare parts.
The City’s bike initiative spans the entire summer and early fall, beginning with the collection of bikes and parts. To get each bicycle ready, volunteers from throughout the county are trained in basic bike maintenance and mechanics. Once bicycles have been prepared and checked by the Elyria Bicycle Education Center for safety, distribution to residents begins.
Wednesday evenings from June through September from 5:00 p.m. until dusk were proclaimed Bike Nights by Mayor Frank Whitfield in 2020, encouraging residents to ride bikes through their neighborhood, city parks, or with community groups, like Ride Elyria. Mayor Whitfield leads an escorted group ride through various neighborhoods the first Wednesday of each month (June 3, July 7, August 4, and September 1) that begin at 5:30 p.m. from the Elyria City Hall Parking Lot, 131 Court Street, Elyria, OH 44035.
To learn more about this initiative, or request a bike once they become available, please visit cityofelyria.org/bikes, or call the Office of the Mayor and Safety Service Director at 440-326-1402.
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