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Trips for Kids Santa Cruz, an all-volunteer organization that takes kids mountain biking, seeks Ride Leaders and Marketing Content Publishers. If you enjoy mountain biking, mentoring kids, and feel that changing kids lives for the better is payment in itself, then you will fit right in with Trips for Kids Santa Cruz.

To express interest in any positions, please send email to: info@tripsforkidssantacruz.org.

Ride Leaders teach mountain biking skills and etiquette, act as nature docents, lead rides and activities, provide first aid for injuries, repair bikes on the trail, respond to emergencies, and above all enjoy working with kids and creating a safe and fun experience.

Marketing Content Publishers take photographs, write up stories, record short videos, and publish content online—including Facebook, tripsforkidssantacruz.org, YouTube, and email newsletters—and print and physical media. Works with the Board to recognize sponsors, donors, contributors, and volunteers.

President is the liaison between the local chapter of Trips for Kids and the International organization. President leads monthly Board meetings, and supports other Board members with their duties for the operation of the organization. President represents the chapter in all legal, fiduciary, and public matters. President coordinates activities with other bicycling organizations and events.

About Trips for Kids Santa Cruz

We provide kids (ages 10-18) with everything they need to have a safe, fun experience riding a mountain bike in the great outdoors, all at no cost to them. We fit the kids individually with a bike, helmet, and gloves, and provide a healthy lunch, transportation, skills instruction, and moral support.

Trips for Kids Santa Cruz is a member of Trips for Kids® International http://www.tripsforkids.org, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Marin County, California. Founded in 1988 and now operating in over 80 locations throughout the United States, Canada and Israel, Trips for Kids (TFK®) International has opened the world of cycling to over 100,000 at-risk youth through guided mountain bike rides and job training/earn-a-bike programs. All TFK chapters, modeled on the foundation of the original TFK Marin program, are managed and operated independently at the local level but share a common goal. Their mission is to use bicycles as a vehicle for lessons in confidence building, achievement, health, fitness and environmental awareness through the development of practical skills and the simple act of having fun.

CONTACT

Email: info@tripsforkidssantacruz.org
Web: https://communitybikecollective.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CommunityBikeCollective/

On November 21, we took nine girls and three leaders from Girl Scout Troop 10423 for a “bike and hike” in The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park. This was the second ride this year for this eager group of girls. Kathy Frank was our ride leader. They rode up to the Aptos Creek Trail along the fire road, and from there hiked to the Epicenter, and then up to the bridge crossing at Big Slide. Everyone had a blast, and they can’t wait to do it again. Below, is the thank you note from their troop leader Nancy Gere.

John,

On behalf of me, the girls, and adults who chaperoned today’s ride, thank you so much!! We loved it. It is so good for the soul to get out in the woods and go on an adventure! All the girls had positive things to say; even the ones who were tentative at first said they really enjoyed it. Thank you for coordinating this amazing day and for your flexibility with us this morning.

We’re looking forward to the next ride!

Nancy

Trips for Kids Santa Cruz led riders and volunteers from San José ICO on the fire roads and single track trails in the Forest of Nisene Marks in Aptos. The day started off cool, and a few showers started to fall after lunch, making for perfect trail conditions. The leaders helped all the riders learn a few skills: shifting up and down, braking, and trail etiquette. The riders were well prepared with rain jackets supplied by San José ICO, keeping at the top halves of ourselves dry, even though everyone had a skunk tail up the back of the jackets. Toward the end of the ride, the showers turned into a downpour, and the forest canyon walls rang with peals of laughter.

San José Inspiring Connections Outdoors ride the Forest of Nisene Marks

Our friends from San José Inspiring Connections Outdoors rode through the Forest of Nisene Marks last Saturday, June 6. Janette LaBau, Ray, and five other volunteers led eleven kids on an adventure they will always remember. Forest elves and the elusive Duckus bikerus accompanied us on our trip along the trails.

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Middle school kids from across the county tour the Forest of Nisene Marks

A large group of kids from middle schools around the county rode through the Forest of Nisene Marks Saturday, May 30. Sunshine filtered through the redwood canopy and warmed us on our ride. At our lunch stop alongside Aptos Creek, a few of us learned how to skip stones, and others went “spelunking“. Tawn Kennedy and Steve Piercy led the riders from New Brighton and Mission Hill Middle Schools, and kids in the Earn a Bike program in Watsonville.

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Support Trips for Kids with your online donation with PayPal and AmazonSmile

Have you heard? We now accept donations online. Use PayPal to make a donation, either recurring or one-time.

Click to Donate

To spare us transaction fees, you can send a personal payment from your PayPal account to donate@tripsforkidssantacruz.org and select “I’m sending money to family or friends”. Read details.

As an all-volunteer run organization, all funds go directly to benefit kids in our programs.

Donate while you shop online at AmazonSmile

We are now a member of AmazonSmile. When you shop and purchase eligible items through Amazon, selecting us as your preferred nonprofit charity organization, Trips for Kids Santa Cruz will receive 0.5% of the purchase price from the AmazonSmile Foundation. There’s no cost to you. Every little bit helps us lube the chains and cranks of our bicycle fleet.

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Upcoming biking events

TFKSC Bike Maintenance Party

Monday, June 29, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
TFKSC Launch Pad
345 Harvest Drive Watsonville, CA

Our bikes need some love and attention. We will hold a bike maintenance party to adjust brakes and shifters, lube chains and hubs, and other maintenance tasks. We’ll supply the pizza and delicious beverages, as well as tools and bike parts. Just bring your fine old self and some rockin’ tunes.

Mountain Bike Drawing

Trips for Kids Santa Cruz will be holding a drawing for a Raleigh EVA 29 mountain bike. The generous Bike Station Aptos donated this awesome bike.

View the full manufacturer specifications.

More information about the drawing will be announced in upcoming newsletters, on our Facebook page, and our website.

Bike Friendly Watsonville Community Bike Ride

The folks from Bike Friendly Watsonville will hold their inaugural Community Bike Ride.

Saturday, Jun 27, 10:00 AM
Second Street Cafe
28 Second Street, Watsonville, CA

The event is free and open to all ages and experience levels. For more information, see their Facebook page or contact May Pro-Tem Felipe Hernandez at 831-707-4392.

Read the article in the Santa Cruz Sentinel, featuring our own board member Kym Lacrosse.

E-Bike Demo Day

Saturday, June 27, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Aptos Farmer’s Market, Cabrillo College

Is it hard to ride your bike to your home or job due to steep hills, heavy loads, or long distances? Bike Station Aptos is hosting an e-bike demo day on June 27 at the Cabrillo Farmer’s Market, giving you a chance to see if an electric bike is for you. Bikes from Currie Tech, Kalkhoff, and Focus will be available for demo. Come out and try an e-bike on those steep Cabrillo College campus hills!

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Upcoming rides

We have a flurry of rides scheduled for the next several months.

• Monday, July 20, Contigo
• Friday, July 24, Walnut Avenue Womens Center
• Saturday, August 8, Family Ride Day

For more information, please contact our ride coordinator at:
ride@tripsforkidssantacruz.org

See our calendar for other upcoming rides.

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Request a ride for your group

We have many open regular ride dates scheduled in our calendar on the first and third Saturdays of the month. Other dates are possible by request. If you have a group of kids that you would like to take mountain biking, request a ride through our website.

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Give a kid the opportunity of a lifetime

Donating to Trips for Kids Santa Cruz changes lives through the mountain biking experience. As an all-volunteer organization, your donations go directly to benefit kids.

We accept bikes, tubes, tires, water bottles, first aid kits, and any other mountain bike related necessities. Please Contact Us to arrange a donation of in-kind items.

Of course, we accept monetary donations, as well! Checks made payable to “Trips for Kids Santa Cruz” may be sent to:

T4KSC
758 Rio Del Mar Blvd
Aptos, CA 95003

Our friends from San José Inspiring Connections Outdoors rode through the Forest of Nisene Marks last Saturday, June 6. Janette LaBau, Ray, and five other volunteers led eleven kids on an adventure they will always remember. Forest elves and the elusive Duckus bikerus accompanied us on our trip along the trails. We rode some single track and the fire road, with some technical riding through the creek. Along the way we stopped at the Buddha altar to pay our respects. It was an awesome, beautiful day and a whole lot of fun.

Click an image in the gallery to view full size photographs of our trip.

A large group of kids from middle schools around the county rode through the Forest of Nisene Marks last Saturday, May 30. Sunshine filtered through the redwood canopy and warmed us on our ride. At our lunch stop alongside Aptos Creek, a few of us learned how to skip stones, and others went “spelunking”. Tawn Kennedy and Steve Piercy led the riders from New Brighton and Mission Hill Middle Schools, and kids in the Earn a Bike program in Watsonville.

Click an image in the gallery to view full size photographs of our trip.

Volunteer CPR and First Aid Training

When we take kids on rides, we always have at least one volunteer Ride Leader who has taken First Aid and CPR training to administer when needed. The TFKSC Board will hold a CPR and First Aid Training for all volunteers who want to be Ride Leaders.

Volunteer CPR and First Aid Training
Wednesday, February 25, 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM
758 Rio Del Mar Blvd
Aptos, CA 95003
Cost is $50-60 per person
Please sign up by sending email to info@tripsforkidssantacruz.org

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Get trained to give out free helmets

Kids who participate in our bike rodeos and go on our rides will get to keep a helmet for free. We need volunteers to get trained to properly size and fit helmets, and provide safety education to helmet recipients, in order to make this a reality.

Volunteer Training for Helmet Safety
Monday, March 2, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Sign up
Contact Steve Piercy, helmet@tripsforkidssantacruz.org, to sign up.

Directions
http://goo.gl/rmLXtR
Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency
Emeline County Campus in the Solarium Room
1060 Emeline Avenue, Building F, Santa Cruz

If you head up the hill on Emeline Avenue (from Highway 1 North/Emeline exit or from Grant Street) without turning or veering in either direction, you will come to a beige building with green awnings. The Solarium is the room with all the windows at the top of the staircase farthest to your right on that side of the building.

The Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency (HSA) runs the free helmet distribution program throughout the county. Our Director of Technology, Steve Piercy, wrote an article about the program, “Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency adds new free bike helmet site“.

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Upcoming biking events

Bash on the Bluffs – Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz membership drive and appreciation party

Saturday, February 21, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Seymour Marine Discovery Center
100 Shaffer Road
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

RSVP Required

• beer and wine
• appetizers
• silent auction with fabulous items
• member raffle and prizes
• explore the Seymour Marine Lab
• free valet bicycle parking provided by People Power of Santa Cruz County

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Santa Cruz Mountain Bike Festival

Saturday and Sunday, April 11 and 12, 2015, in Santa Cruz, CA. More details will be released on the website, http://santacruzmountainbikefestival.com/

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San Jose Inspiring Connections Outdoors donates bike racks and mechanic stand

Thank you to San Jose Inspiring Connections Outdoors (ICO) for donating four bike racks and a bike mechanic work stand to TFKSC. The bike racks will increase our capacity to transport bicycles. The bike mechanic stand will double the number of bikes we can repair and maintain comfortably.

ICO is a community outreach program of the Sierra Club dedicated to provide underserved youth and young adults the opportunity to discover the beauty of wild places, develop an appreciation for nature, and acquire the skills to enjoy these places safely. Please visit ICO’s website or Facebook page for more information.

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Upcoming rides

Saturday, February 28

Jóvenes Sanos

Saturday, March 28

Big Brothers and Big Sisters

For more information, please contact our ride coordinator at: ride@tripsforkidssantacruz.org

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Request a ride for your group

We have many open regular ride dates scheduled in our calendar on the first and third Saturdays of the month. Other dates are possible by request. If you have a group of kids that you would like to take mountain biking, request a ride through our website.

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Make a difference in a kid’s life

Our volunteers teach bike skills, provide moral support, and help kids meet challenges. They also tune bikes, secure donations, write grants, build community support, and make it all happen behind the scenes. Come share your time and expertise with youth and enjoy the smiles.

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Give a kid the opportunity of a lifetime

Donating to Trips for Kids Santa Cruz changes lives through the mountain biking experience. As an all-volunteer organization, your donations go directly to benefit kids. We accept bikes, tubes, tires, water bottles, first aid kits, and any other mountain bike related necessities. Please Contact Us to arrange a donation of in-kind items.

Of course, we accept monetary donations, as well! Checks made payable to “Trips for Kids Santa Cruz” may be sent to:

T4KSC
758 Rio Del Mar Blvd
Aptos, CA 95003