3rd MEB helps build ‘50 Bikes for 50 Kids’

  • Published
  • By Sgt. Tamika Dillard
  • 3rd MEB PAO
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  More than 100 Soldiers from the 3rd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade helped build "50 Bikes for 50 Kids" at the Spenard Recreation Center in Anchorage, Monday.

It was the fourth annual "50 Bikes" event. The first was in
2008.

This year was the first year Soldiers in uniform took part in the bike building and mentoring.

The mission of the program is to match 50 bike recipients with 50 teams of volunteers to build a bike.

The Soldier-volunteers built bikes for children, ages 9 to 17, as part of the program, a partnership of the Anchorage Park Foundation, the Parks & Recreation Department and community businesses and organizations that aims to provide deserving youth with their first bicycles, according to the Park Foundation's website, www.anchorageparkfoundation.org.

The children were selected throughout the local community from nominations by local social service agencies serving at-risk youth.

Natasha Coates, 10 -years old, received one of the bikes.

She said, it was the first bike of her very own.

After she helped 3rd MEB Soldiers assemble her new bike, Natasha took her first bicycle ride in five years.