For kids, by kids

Earlier this year, Pulk, a student at Little Oak Montessori in White Salmon, was donating a bike he’d outgrown, and was shocked to learn that some kids don’t have bikes, said his mom, Kristen Campbell.

A few days later, he came home and announced he’d decided what his school community service project would be: he’d get bikes donated for kids who didn’t have them.

Biking is “our family activity,” Campbell said. “He’s a very busy boy. He prefers to be out on the trails,” and he wanted to provide that same enjoyment to other kids, she said.

Campbell was amazed at how quickly people got behind the project, which now has a website, Anson’sbikebuddies.com, a Facebook page, non-profit status, a bike mechanic to retool bikes, advertising posters, and drop-off points for bike donations.

Anson’s bike buddies is providing bikes to kids ages 6 to 18. Donations have run the spectrum, ranging from single speed bikes to full-suspension mountain bikes, Campbell said.

Bike mechanics are able to work wonders with donated bikes, either repairing them, or using them for parts on other bikes, she said. “Those mechanics are magicians, they can get it running and looking good too.”

“We’re working with The Next Door to distribute the bikes,” Campbell said, and both Mid-Columbia Medical Center and Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital will participate in donating a new helmet with each bike.

Anson’s bike buddies has already received close to 20 bikes and done one distribution already. Another distribution will take place shortly, Campbell said.

The project is on the lookout for more donations, since demand is outstripping supply at this point, Campbell said.

Drop-off points are at Cascade Eye Center in The Dalles and Hood River, where Anson’s dad, Dr. Jeffrey Pulk works, at Timmons Law Offices, where Campbell works as an attorney, and at Mountain View Cycles in Hood River, where his mentor works.

The eye center locations are 310 Cherry Heights Rd. in The Dalles and 2025 Cascade Ave. Suite 101 in Hood River; Timmons Law is at 3591 Klindt Dr., Suite 220 in The Dalles; and Mountain View Cycles is at 205 Oak St. in Hood River.

What really fueled the project was when Anson made a presentation to 150 business people in late February and won Gorge Soup For Kids funding, which micro-funds philanthropy in the gorge.

That funding helped pay for efforts to apply for non-profit status, and pay for bike parts, tools and storage, Campbell said.

“It’s really, really exciting,” she said. As soon as people learn about the project, they’re eager to donate services, she said.

“I think so many people have such great memories they associate with their bike, whether it’s the freedom of when they had a bike when they were a kid, and it’s a social thing for so many people and now there’s an opportunity to pay it forward to other kids who wouldn’t otherwise have that opportunity,” Campbell said.

A bike drive is set in Hood River for April 25-26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days outside the Cascade Eye Center on Cascade Avenue.

“Ultimately our goal is to set up a mentor program where we can get many of these bike enthusiasts paired with kids to actually get them into the woods and onto trails and into this nature that they maybe don’t have immediate access to otherwise,” Campbell said.