508 BikeLife 1st Bloxx Party

To all Youth, Youth Organizations and Allies,


WooRides, in partnership with 508 BikeLife, is planning a block party to be held on Portland Street, August 24th, 4:00 - 8:00pm. We are in the stage of raising funds for a block party permit ($655.75), a youth DJ ($100), food ($100), and the prizes for a 508 BikeLiife wheelie competition ($144.25) during the event. The total budget for the event is expected to be $1,000. We invite you and all youth-oriented community organizations to help us celebrate and highlight youth movements, organizations and workers in the city and to help WooRides showcase the energy and talent of 508 BikeLife youth in particular.


THE ASK:

***Biggest Donor Will Be Awarded a Burberry Belt! (valued at $300; size 30-32)***

We need fundraising assistance! Even if only 6 orgs donated $100 each we would have the permit covered to ensure the block party goes on. We are also looking for leads to applicable grants with the turn-around time necessary to host this event on August 24th.

We need youth turnout! Youth orgs, clubs, movements, are all invited to table at the event, and put on small programming of their own.


Please review the background leading up to this event (included below). We have included this section as a way to convey the significance of this event in the context of our ongoing struggle to make this city and its spaces inclusive and safe for people of color and other marginalized groups.

Context and Background

508 BikeLife has been caricatured as merely a group of reckless kids on bikes. In actuality, 508 BikeLife are a group of youth of all ages that autonomously organize group bicycle rides in collective solidarity, celebration, and love for their culture and community. While there may be individuals (although not consistently) that engage in what is seemingly dangerous behaviour, 508 BikeLife, as a collective entity, strives to utilize the roads in the safest manner possible. Indeed, riding in large groups is one of the safest ways for bicyclists to actualize their legal right to share the road with cars, buses and trucks that dominate the roadways with pollution, noise, and congestion.

The first ever, 508BikeLife BLOCKS PARTY, is a celebration of 508 BikeLife's abilities to organize and ride with pride. We are planning on closing down a whole street to finally let the youth showcase their finely tuned skills, offer prizes for best performances, and celebrate the 508 BikeLife movement as a whole. This is to be a youth-organized event with all organizational power of the event given to the youth. We invite you, your organization, and all youth to join us in this endeavor. But to make this happen, we need gather and apply the collective effort of the concerned members of our community!

Thank you for your time!


Peace,
WooRidesx508BikeLife