Last Wednesday, thanks to the amazing Auckland Climate Grant, Cyc Ōtāhuhu ran their first ever event: an after school kids bike ride at Ōtāhuhu Intermediate.
With the help of Bigfoot Adventures, Dizzie Pizie Designs, Auckland Transport’s Travelwise team, Bike Auckland and Blanktees, 35 students stayed after school, learnt how to ride bikes safely, blinged their bikes up, received awesome merch like reflective cycling ankle bands, bike bells, waterproof backpack covers, stickers, local maps and rode on the fields over wooden ramps and racing each other to a slow race in the carpark.
Most of the students had submitted a 30-50 word statement, declaring why they wanted to learn to ride a bike or why they were keen to attend. Some of these statements were moving, brutally honest and very informative.
Students also had their bikes fixed for free by three amazing bike mechanics and if they wanted to win a free bike, were able to play “Cyclo” aka bike bingo, completing challenges to be in the draw at the end of the afternoon.
In addition to the free bike, kindly donated by David Benson and the beautiful handpainted bike bell, donated by Gayle Brownlee (two of the three bike mechanics who also live locally), 4 Hip D-locks, worth $200 each from Auckland Transport, were also given out to 4 amazing students, one whose dream is to cycle in the Olympics, with another is to help reduce the car traffic near their house.
Cyc Ōtāhuhu also gave brand new helmets and t-shirts, to help kids get started and start cycling legally!
Come check out in their own words what this event meant for one of the students in their own language, Gagana Samoa.
Massive fa’afetai tele lava to Tanya Brook, Tumuaki/Principal (pictured below) who let us in and led the way here on the day, the awesome Senior Leadership Team: Lorraine King, Verna Ernstzen and Pierre Buys; great peeps on the ground of Jackie Talagi, Chantal, Johnny, Andy, Mo, Sherry, Tim and Zach, our Cyc Ōtāhuhu team of David and Gayle, Tōia Ōtāhuhu library staff of Amelia, Annie and Sai, the awesome Presheen Sudkhoe from Bigfoot and the rest of the team of Kyla, Heidi, Elise, Brynna and Eric; Lyn-Marie and her awesome bling from Dizzie Pixie Designs, Cycling coach star Janet Stark, Ina Sauni, Matt Elia and Remco de blaaij from Auckland Transport, Teva Chonon from Bike Auckland, Kye Hay and Jessica Rose from Bike Avondale, the amazing staff and students, with special mention to Rosa Autagavaia, Director of Health at Ōtāhuhu Intermediate, who liaised with Cyc Ōtāhuhu founder, Louise Tu’u on behalf of the school.
Big thanks to Fran and Greer from the Auckland Climate Grant team for helping us making this happen.
Stay tuned for our next event early in the new year!
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