Stolen Major Taylor Project Bikes
Tax deductible
Update (10/14/17): With a generous donation from the Employees Community Fund of Boeing Puget Sound and the AWESOME response from our cycling community and friends, we have raised enough money to replace our bikes, begin rebuilding our program, and make it even bigger and stronger than before. Thank you so much to everyone for their generous and wonderful support of an awesome program that means so much to me and our community! You all are AWESOME!
On September 10, 2017, The Major Taylor Project (MTP) had about 40 bicycles stolen* (valued at $50,000) from a storage container located at iDEA High School in Tacoma, WA. MTP is an important program that "empowers youth from diverse communities through bicycling...students establish healthy habits, build relationships, gain confidence and discover their ability to affect positive change. " MTP club locations are intentionally established to reach youth in low-income and diverse neighborhoods and can be found in middle- and high school throughout King and Pierce counties. They reach more than 500 students annually, where many test their skills and perseverance by biking 206 miles from Seattle to Portland on the annual STP.
*UPDATE: The number of bikes stolen is confirmed to be about 31, valued at about $25,000.
These bikes were stolen from our community and more importantly, from children. These bicycles gave students the opportunity to:
* Go on weekly bike rides and explore their communities
* Learn about bicycle safety and maintenance
* Be a mechanism for advocating positive change in the community
* Receive training and leadership skills to assist and participate in bicycling events
I personally love the program because it teaches students how to be ride leaders and lead large groups, as well as teaches them proper riding etiquette and the rules of the road. The program gives me the chance to ride my bike with several friends who wouldn't otherwise have an opportunity to ride bikes. The loss of these bikes is the loss of an important program for our community.
I am asking the community to not let the thieves win. We will not be defeated. Please help MTP replace these bikes so we can get my fellow students out there riding again as soon as possible. Your assistance and generosity are greatly appreciated!
Greyson Monaghan-Bergson
Foss High School, Tacoma, WA
Examples of the bikes stolen:
On September 10, 2017, The Major Taylor Project (MTP) had about 40 bicycles stolen* (valued at $50,000) from a storage container located at iDEA High School in Tacoma, WA. MTP is an important program that "empowers youth from diverse communities through bicycling...students establish healthy habits, build relationships, gain confidence and discover their ability to affect positive change. " MTP club locations are intentionally established to reach youth in low-income and diverse neighborhoods and can be found in middle- and high school throughout King and Pierce counties. They reach more than 500 students annually, where many test their skills and perseverance by biking 206 miles from Seattle to Portland on the annual STP.
*UPDATE: The number of bikes stolen is confirmed to be about 31, valued at about $25,000.
These bikes were stolen from our community and more importantly, from children. These bicycles gave students the opportunity to:
* Go on weekly bike rides and explore their communities
* Learn about bicycle safety and maintenance
* Be a mechanism for advocating positive change in the community
* Receive training and leadership skills to assist and participate in bicycling events
I personally love the program because it teaches students how to be ride leaders and lead large groups, as well as teaches them proper riding etiquette and the rules of the road. The program gives me the chance to ride my bike with several friends who wouldn't otherwise have an opportunity to ride bikes. The loss of these bikes is the loss of an important program for our community.
I am asking the community to not let the thieves win. We will not be defeated. Please help MTP replace these bikes so we can get my fellow students out there riding again as soon as possible. Your assistance and generosity are greatly appreciated!
Greyson Monaghan-Bergson
Foss High School, Tacoma, WA
Examples of the bikes stolen:
Organizer
Greyson Monaghan-Bergson
Organizer
Tacoma, WA
Cascade Bicycle Club
Registered nonprofit
Donations are typically 100% tax deductible in the US.
