Bikes 4 Kids Charity Project
Donation protected
(Year Three) BIKES 4 KIDS 2017
A project to raise $20,000.00 to buy 200 Bikes, Helmets, and Locks for Standout Hardworking kids from low-income families in National City CA. This project is In conjunction with "The Kiwanis Club of Sweetwater" We invited you to help us make a difference in a child’s life!
I’ll bet most of you reading this probably have a pretty nice lifestyle. I’m sure that means something different for everyone who reads this. Ask yourself this question, what if you knew someone struggling or someone that is simply missing out on things we might take for granted, would you help??
You have seen starving kids on TV, you’ve heard about kids being abused, or neglected probably more times than you wanted to. What about a kid who is just bored, left behind, with no way to entertain him/herself, what do you think happens to those kids? What if there was a way you could help, change that scenario for a young boy or girl? Would you want someone to help your child in that situation? Would you accept a small donation, a helping hand from the community or the country pulled together with the help of the internet?
You are virtually invited to the “now annual” PARTY 4 CHARITY to raise money to buy BIKES 4 KIDS of low-income families in National City CA…
So many families in communities all over the country are barely getting by. These families might not live on your street, or in your city, and you probably don’t notice them when you’re at the grocery store getting milk or bread, but they are there. These kids see so many of their school friends with new shiny objects like phones, iPods, laptops, and BIKES. The families of those kids are the ones we want to help. The families that are trying hard to raise their boys and girls as best they can, paying bills and buying food with no money left over to buy their little boy or girl a bike. When I think about how a $25, $50 or even $100 dollar donation (you can sponsor 1 kids for $71.00) could change the life of a young boy or girl who doesn’t have as many luxuries as typical kids from their school and neighborhood do. Well, it gets me excited and motivated to work as hard as I can to reach our goal of $20,000.00. We would be able to deliver 200 bikes to some special hard working kids that without us might never have a chance to own their own bike. My wife Maribel and I know with your help and support, we can reach our goal and impact a lot of kids and a whole community.
As a parent, I can’t imagine what it must be like to tuck your munchkin in at night, to wrap a blanket around your son or daughter who says to you, “Mom, Dad, I want to ride bikes with my friends.” Or what it must be like to have to say, “I’m sorry, we can’t get you a bike right now,” Or what it must be like to see the look in that child’s eyes who doesn’t understand why.
As a student, sure a bike isn’t very important once you’re in class, but what about after school or on weekends? How can you feel normal when you’re left behind as your buddies take off on their bikes heading to the park or down to the store to grab an ice cream? You don’t, you probably just feel sad, disappointed and you don’t understand why you’re different than the other kids. I know I don’t want my daughter to have to go to bed feeling like she isn’t as good as her friends or classmates at school. In today’s world of cyber bullying, these little-unnoticed things are what kids tease other kids about. Sadly, if you appear different in any way you become a target for bullies. What if a $50 (or $71) donation helped stop a kid from being bullied? Wouldn’t that be incredible in itself? If that same $50 inspired a kid to use that bicycle to get to school on time and learn responsibility by maintaining the bike, then you can rest assured you have made a difference in the life of an impressionable child. That gift could be the spark that changes their whole life. I sometimes wonder, wouldn’t the world be a better place, if only our kids knew how to have fun on bikes like we did, and they had the opportunity to enjoy some of life’s simple pleasures like kids should.
Before you decide how much you can help or want to donate please read this carefully
There was a study done by Bob Cialdini, “one of the great social scientists” about charity and donations. In his study, he found that the reason many people don’t donate is because they felt that small amounts of money like $25 or $50 wasn’t a significant amount to make a difference and they were often embarrassed only giving a few bucks. He was able to show that people in his study felt better about making donations of any amount by pointing out that even a single dollar ($1) can make a difference.
This year Maribel, my wife, is again donating her annual birthday party and rallying her friends and all our business associates in an effort to raise money for low-income kids to get bikes this Christmas. This is all run through the Kiwanis Club of Sweetwater. (501c3 status) I want to make it 100% clear that we are expecting our friends who attend this Party 4 Charity to donate $25, $50 or even $100 to help our effort to get kids from low-income family’s bikes this Christmas. Please please donate whatever you can because even a dollar ($1) will help us get closer to our goal of $20,000.00.
HOW DO WE CHOOSE THE KIDS
The Bikes 4 Kids Charity project is very unique. We have a special relationship that we have built up with the 13 public schools and the city’s Mayor and City Councill members. These kids are singled out using this 3 point criteria.
1. They must have near perfect attendance
2. They must be good citizens and role models to their peers. The school call this being a “good peace builder”
3. They must have good grades, or have dramatically turned their grades around.
The way we deliver these bikes is what truly make this a special program. With our relationship with the schools, we are able to award the bikes right in the child classroom. The class doesn’t know who the winner is, so when that child’s name is called you can tell by the look on their faces how special they feel. Every time that child jumps on that bike to head down to the park magic moment is going to pop into that child’s mind. The other kids learn how they can win a bike if they work on their grades, attendance, and attitudes. I didn’t mention the low income part, because sadly we know that close to 90% of the kids are receiving reduced lunches telling us they fit the financial criteria.
If you have any question or want to start a similar fund raiser in your community please send me an email as I would love to hear your story and help you with your charity efforts
Maribel Gavin
Principal Sweetwater High School,
President of the Kiwanis club of Sweetwater
Andrew Gavin
Dad, Philanthropist, Lover of Bikes, Realtor®
A project to raise $20,000.00 to buy 200 Bikes, Helmets, and Locks for Standout Hardworking kids from low-income families in National City CA. This project is In conjunction with "The Kiwanis Club of Sweetwater" We invited you to help us make a difference in a child’s life!
I’ll bet most of you reading this probably have a pretty nice lifestyle. I’m sure that means something different for everyone who reads this. Ask yourself this question, what if you knew someone struggling or someone that is simply missing out on things we might take for granted, would you help??
You have seen starving kids on TV, you’ve heard about kids being abused, or neglected probably more times than you wanted to. What about a kid who is just bored, left behind, with no way to entertain him/herself, what do you think happens to those kids? What if there was a way you could help, change that scenario for a young boy or girl? Would you want someone to help your child in that situation? Would you accept a small donation, a helping hand from the community or the country pulled together with the help of the internet?
You are virtually invited to the “now annual” PARTY 4 CHARITY to raise money to buy BIKES 4 KIDS of low-income families in National City CA…
So many families in communities all over the country are barely getting by. These families might not live on your street, or in your city, and you probably don’t notice them when you’re at the grocery store getting milk or bread, but they are there. These kids see so many of their school friends with new shiny objects like phones, iPods, laptops, and BIKES. The families of those kids are the ones we want to help. The families that are trying hard to raise their boys and girls as best they can, paying bills and buying food with no money left over to buy their little boy or girl a bike. When I think about how a $25, $50 or even $100 dollar donation (you can sponsor 1 kids for $71.00) could change the life of a young boy or girl who doesn’t have as many luxuries as typical kids from their school and neighborhood do. Well, it gets me excited and motivated to work as hard as I can to reach our goal of $20,000.00. We would be able to deliver 200 bikes to some special hard working kids that without us might never have a chance to own their own bike. My wife Maribel and I know with your help and support, we can reach our goal and impact a lot of kids and a whole community.
As a parent, I can’t imagine what it must be like to tuck your munchkin in at night, to wrap a blanket around your son or daughter who says to you, “Mom, Dad, I want to ride bikes with my friends.” Or what it must be like to have to say, “I’m sorry, we can’t get you a bike right now,” Or what it must be like to see the look in that child’s eyes who doesn’t understand why.
As a student, sure a bike isn’t very important once you’re in class, but what about after school or on weekends? How can you feel normal when you’re left behind as your buddies take off on their bikes heading to the park or down to the store to grab an ice cream? You don’t, you probably just feel sad, disappointed and you don’t understand why you’re different than the other kids. I know I don’t want my daughter to have to go to bed feeling like she isn’t as good as her friends or classmates at school. In today’s world of cyber bullying, these little-unnoticed things are what kids tease other kids about. Sadly, if you appear different in any way you become a target for bullies. What if a $50 (or $71) donation helped stop a kid from being bullied? Wouldn’t that be incredible in itself? If that same $50 inspired a kid to use that bicycle to get to school on time and learn responsibility by maintaining the bike, then you can rest assured you have made a difference in the life of an impressionable child. That gift could be the spark that changes their whole life. I sometimes wonder, wouldn’t the world be a better place, if only our kids knew how to have fun on bikes like we did, and they had the opportunity to enjoy some of life’s simple pleasures like kids should.
Before you decide how much you can help or want to donate please read this carefully
There was a study done by Bob Cialdini, “one of the great social scientists” about charity and donations. In his study, he found that the reason many people don’t donate is because they felt that small amounts of money like $25 or $50 wasn’t a significant amount to make a difference and they were often embarrassed only giving a few bucks. He was able to show that people in his study felt better about making donations of any amount by pointing out that even a single dollar ($1) can make a difference.
This year Maribel, my wife, is again donating her annual birthday party and rallying her friends and all our business associates in an effort to raise money for low-income kids to get bikes this Christmas. This is all run through the Kiwanis Club of Sweetwater. (501c3 status) I want to make it 100% clear that we are expecting our friends who attend this Party 4 Charity to donate $25, $50 or even $100 to help our effort to get kids from low-income family’s bikes this Christmas. Please please donate whatever you can because even a dollar ($1) will help us get closer to our goal of $20,000.00.
HOW DO WE CHOOSE THE KIDS
The Bikes 4 Kids Charity project is very unique. We have a special relationship that we have built up with the 13 public schools and the city’s Mayor and City Councill members. These kids are singled out using this 3 point criteria.
1. They must have near perfect attendance
2. They must be good citizens and role models to their peers. The school call this being a “good peace builder”
3. They must have good grades, or have dramatically turned their grades around.
The way we deliver these bikes is what truly make this a special program. With our relationship with the schools, we are able to award the bikes right in the child classroom. The class doesn’t know who the winner is, so when that child’s name is called you can tell by the look on their faces how special they feel. Every time that child jumps on that bike to head down to the park magic moment is going to pop into that child’s mind. The other kids learn how they can win a bike if they work on their grades, attendance, and attitudes. I didn’t mention the low income part, because sadly we know that close to 90% of the kids are receiving reduced lunches telling us they fit the financial criteria.
If you have any question or want to start a similar fund raiser in your community please send me an email as I would love to hear your story and help you with your charity efforts
Maribel Gavin
Principal Sweetwater High School,
President of the Kiwanis club of Sweetwater
Andrew Gavin
Dad, Philanthropist, Lover of Bikes, Realtor®
Organizer
Andrew Gavin
Organizer
National City, CA