Coatesville Kids Earn Bikes

July 20, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Doug and Lesa Franz
Telephone: 610-383-4349
E-mail: hitrim@yahoo.com

Crystal Lowery
Regency Park Apartments
Telephone 610-383-4624

Coatesville Kids Earn Bikes
Police Athletic League program benefits youth

Coatesville Community Bike Works, in partnership with the City of Coatesville's Police Athletic League, announces the first graduation from its Earn-A-Bike program. The first class is composed of 7 students from Regency Park Apartments. Graduation will be held on Saturday August 4, 2007 at 2pm at the Regency Park Apartments Community Center, 101 Victoria Drive, Coatesville PA 19320

The Earn-A-Bike program teaches comprehensive bicycle repair to young people ages 10 to 17. Students choose a used bike that has been donated or possibly recovered from an abandoned lot or back alley, and over a series of fourteen classes they disassemble it, renew every piece, and rebuild it from the ground up. Once the bike is safe to ride the focus is expanded to include riding skills, best practices for bicycling in the urban environment, and fitness and nutrition. The "Earn-A-Bike" program is not a new idea; it is used in several major cities within the United States. In Pennsylvania alone there are programs in Pittsburgh, Allentown, Bethlehem, and Philadelphia.

Coatesville Community Bike Works (CCBW) is a volunteer organization created and staffed by Coatesville area bicycle enthusiasts to enrich their community. We recognize bicycling as a constructive activity that promotes physical fitness, a means of transportation, and a competitive sport.

If you would like more information or to schedule an interview contact Crystal Lowery at 610-383-4624 or Doug and Lesa Franz at 610-383-4349