On his way home from work on Monday, Mike Wadley made a stop that may have changed a young man's life. Wadley stopped at Pedal It Forward on behalf of a Northwest Arkansas Community College student who attends his church.
Pedal It Forward is a nonprofit organized by local bicyclists. Although their web page, pedalitforwardnwa.com, describes the group as "passionate about getting kids on bikes in Northwest Arkansas that would normally not have access to a bike," the group helps adults, too.
Wadley's friend used a bicycle as his only form of transportation. When a parking lot accident damaged his bike, he didn't have the money to replace it. Luckily, he goes to church with Wadley who knew about Pedal It Forward. Wadley checked with one of the group's founders and his friend's bike was replaced at no charge.
The nonprofit began almost one year ago, founder Gary Vernon said. But he and co-founder Justin Tubb had been thinking about it for a long time. They found a man in Little Rock who was doing something similar and got some pointers.
"Everyone has bikes in their garage that they aren't using," Vernon said.
"We started out thinking it was mostly for kids, but we gave some to a homeless veterans program and lots of vets were excited to get a bike," he said. They also donated bikes to a Rogers homeless shelter -- many of the residents don't have a driver's license and use bicycles for transportation.
With so many people needing bikes, the organization partnered with the Walmart Returns Center to make use of some of those bicycles and parts.
The Walton Family Foundation has also been supportive, Vernon said. They helped the group get a building on Wishing Springs Road, just outside of Bella Vista. They can store bikes there and work on them. Most of the donated bikes need work.
Recently, Pedal it Forward got a cash donation from the first Rogers Cycling Festival.
Area bike shops are also willing to help. They accept donated bikes and hold them for Pedal It Forward. They'll accept almost any bike that can be made safe to ride. Sometimes, bikes are used for parts. If a bike can't be used, it will be sold as scrap and that money can be used by the nonprofit.
Nate Fields is a professional bike mechanic who works for Pedal It Forward part time. His day job is with Phat Tire Bike Shop in downtown Bentonville. At the nonprofit, he tunes up bikes and supervises other volunteers who are learning how to help.
Many of the children's bikes that are donated are department store brands, not the brands that serious riders use, but that's OK, Fields said. He can make them safe and the kids are always happy to have a free bike.
Many of the bikes are distributed through groups such as the Boys and Girls Club. Some schools and churches have asked for bikes, too.
Some day, Pedal It Forward would like to provide helmets with every bike, Fields said, but so far there just aren't enough helmets to go around.
Adult bikes tend to be the more expensive brands, he said. It's just a size thing. Although many of the adults may use their new bike on the streets, they may receive a mountain bike, Fields said. As long as a bike is the right size, they can still ride it on the street.
Many of the volunteers who work at Pedal It Forward are also members of the Friends of Arkansas Single Track, a group that volunteers to help maintain the bike trails around Bentonville.
It's a rewarding volunteer job, Tom Doyle said about his first day volunteering for Pedal It Forward. "Its very hands on," he said, adding, "It's a great cause."
General News on 10/07/2015