Bike Buckeye Lake Giving-Away 200 Bikes To Area Children

Bike Buckeye Lake, organizers of the popular Tour de Buckeye Lake cycling event, will give away close to 200 bikes and helmets to economically-disadvantaged children this Christmas.  The gifts are part of the Christmas Bike Giveaway, a program created by the volunteer-led organization and funded by donations from community members.  The group has given away over 1,000 bikes since the program began in 2015.
 
Bike Buckeye Lake works with local schools and Job and Family Services organizations in Fairfield, Licking and Perry counties to identify children who would benefit from receiving a new bike.
 
Organization president, Terry Fischer, notes that “the program’s success has only been possible through the tireless efforts of our volunteers and the generosity of the many donors and sponsors who help make the holiday a little brighter for families in our community.”
 
Fischer says that the bikes and helmets cost an average of $130 per child and encourages those interested in donating to visit https://bikebuckeyelake.org/bike-for-kids/.  While the group fundraises all year, he encourages anyone looking to help with this year’s gifting to do so before the Dec 9th bike pickup day.
 
Bike Buckeye Lake is a volunteer-run 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 2015 to foster healthy, vibrant and sustainable communities. The group promotes the creation of safe trails that connect towns and points of interest around Buckeye Lake. The goal is to make walking, running and cycling safe, convenient, and accessible for residents and visitors to the lake. 
 
In addition to the Bike Giveaway, the group organizes the Tour de Buckeye Lake and the Tri-County Kids’ Bike Safety Rodeo. The Rodeo, which premiered in May 2024, gives children an opportunity to learn bike handling and safety skills as they guide their bikes through a course made up of more than a dozen stations. The Tour, a cycling event for riders of all skill levels, takes place annually on the third Saturday of August. In 2024, the event attracted more than 800 cyclists to the region. Proceeds go to support trail development costs around Buckeye Lake relating to, for example, land leases and acquisition, engineers and consultants, safety, grant applications, and maintenance.
 
For more information or to get involved, visit https://bikebuckeyelake.org.