Bike Buddies holds bike drive this weekend

This led to the idea of Anson’s Bike Buddies. Anson’s Bike Buddies collects used bikes from the community, repairs them, and then matches them to children ages 6-18 throughout the Gorge who would benefit from the experience of owning a bike. Anson’s Bike Buddies is a State of Oregon non-profit and has partnered with local bike shops, who are donating the repair work. Anson also won the top prize in February’s Gorge Kids’ Soup in support of his project, taking home $1,400 in donations from people who attended, dined on soup and heard pitches from five young start-up entrepreneurs.

Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital is then donating a helmet with each bike that is given out and local organizations, such as The Next Door, are helping to distribute the bikes.

So far, Anson’s Bike Buddies already has bikes on the trails and about 20 in the queue; however, demand still far exceeds the supply. Cascade Eye Center has donated a storage facility. Anson’s Bike Buddies will be having a bike drive from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., April 25 and 26 outside of Cascade Eye Center in the Safeway plaza.

Anson’s Bike Buddies will collect and reuse any bike parts and recycle the rest. They will also take whole bikes or frames, but anything will help.

Contact Jeff Craven 231-392-2363 or Kristen Campbell 231 620-3810 with any other questions or see them on the web at www.ansonsbikebud-dies.org.