The GSF Foundation hosted its second annual national bike building event on Saturday, May 17. Twenty-four Golden State Foods and Quality Custom Distribution facilities participated in seventeen events throughout the country, with QCD-Spokane and QCD-Las Vegas planning to host their bike building events in May and June, respectively. More than 1,000 bikes were built at the event, with the help of more than 1,300 volunteers, all driven to unite in a common service effort to help deserving school-aged children.
This year’s national bike building event took place on Armed Forces Day, which perfectly aligns with GSF’s mission to give back to men and women who have served in the military. To commemorate, different locations took unique routes to honor our veterans, like incorporating a moment of silence, giving bikes away to children of veterans or those in active military service or hosting the event on a military base. Partner organizations included Wounded Warriors and Fallen Soldiers.
“We were overjoyed that we were able to serve two distinct and important communities through this year’s national bike building event,” commented Chuck Browne, executive director of the GSF Foundation. “Not only did we have the opportunity to put a smile on faces of children across the country with a brand new bike, we were able to give back to men and women who have provided an outstanding service to our nation.”
Through the bike building program, the GSF Foundation provides school-aged children in need with their own, and often very first, bicycle that they build themselves under the guidance of a caring mentor. The program teaches safety, goal setting and the value of hard work. A bike helps a child develop his or her sense of self-reliance, adventure, strength and character. The success of the bike building program is due in large part to the partnerships formed over past years. This includes the help and support of local bike shops and law enforcement that act as an excellent resource for future tune-ups and safety lessons, the program gives children the necessary tools to maintain their new bicycle.