Lebanon Bicycle Recycle gears up annual Spring Fling hoping to give away 100 bikes to kids

The Lebanon Bicycle Recycle is gearing up to offer free bicycles and helmets to kids during its third annual Spring Fling Bicycle Giveaway.

The event is a community-focused initiative aimed at promoting bicycle safety and encouraging healthy outdoor activities such as cycling. The Spring Fling Bicycle Giveaway will take place on April 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 53 Chestnut St.

The Spring Fling is the organization's "jump start" event to get more younger kids on bikes, according to Co-Executive Director Laurie Crawford.

"We try to localize it to kids under 10, in that smaller 20-inch bike range, just 'cause we have a lot of that size bike," she said. "It's a great time for kids to learn how to ride bikes at that age."

Last year organizers gave away 75 bikes, with Crawford saying the goal on Saturday is to give away 100 bikes to kids. The Lebanon Bicycle Recycle has given away more than 300 bikes a year for the last two years.

The Lebanon Bicycle Recycle helps residents learn bicycle maintenance and provides for those without consistent access to transportation through donations, maintenance mentorships and volunteering.

Crawford said organizers got started with help from Recycle Bicycle Harrisburg, which has been running a similar operation for 20 years.

"All of our bikes are donated," she said. "They are repaired with volunteer mechanics and then given back out in the community for free."

Volunteers have a workshop space in the basement of St. James Lutheran Church on Chestnut Street. The shop is open every Monday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., where Crawford said volunteers can repair up to 15 bikes an evening if they are in good shape.

"Our adults earn a bike, so they volunteer two hours of their time before they receive a bike," she said. "Kids always get bikes just for free all the time."

The Adult Earn A Bike program offers individuals the opportunity to learn bike repair skills while earning a refurbished bicycle of their own. Crawford said those who sign up would do everything from repair and tearing down bikes to cleaning up the shop.

For adults interested in Lebanon Bicycle Recycles' Adult Earn A Bike program, volunteers will be on hand at the Spring Fling to provide more information and assist with program signups.

In addition to the bicycle and helmet giveaway, organizers will have a coloring contest for kids and a bicycle safety course. Snacks will also be provided for those who attend.

The Lebanon Bicycle Recycle is a committee of the Lebanon Valley Bicycle Coalition, a nonprofit working with local and state governments to advocate for cyclists in the area while educating Lebanon residents on the benefits and joys of cycling.

Residents looking for more information about the Spring Fling Bicycle Giveaway or the Lebanon Bicycle Recycle can visit the organization's website at lebanonbicyclerecycle.com.

Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ldnews.com or on X at @DAMattToth.

This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Lebanon PA Bicycle Recycle gears up for Spring Fling bike giveaway