Bay Area BMXers

My name is Howard Cato, and I'm the founder of Bay Area BMXers (a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit). I run a bicycle race team and mentor underprivileged kids here in the Bay Area. Growing up, some of my best memories include BMX and riding a bicycle and I want to help bring those types of experiences to the kids in our community!

When we are not racing BMX, we work locally with kids, teaching them how to ride bikes and all about bike safety skills. We take bikes and helmets to schools and bike parks for kids to ride and put smiles on their faces.


We call our new mission Flood the Streets with Bikes! We go into neighborhoods where many people won’t go, in order to reach kids that have not been exposed to bicycles, but that deserve the same opportunities as anyone else! Since we started this campaign in January 2018, we’ve already been able to expand our program and now need to raise money for additional bikes, helmets, and safety gear.


The kids at Brookfield Elementary in Oakland were so excited about the program and had an amazing time. To anyone who contributed during the first round of our campaign, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart! But, we’re not stopping here because there are so many more kids out there we want to bring this joy to.

Our goal is to add an additional 120 bikes to our fleet so that we can truly expand our program. Each bike, helmet, and set of safety pads costs a total of $253. To add 120 bikes, we’ll need to raise an additional $30,000. This would cover bikes and safety gear only, and doesn’t include the cost of transportation, storage, tune-ups, etc. Because of this, we’re setting our next goal at $35,000. This would allow us to provide tons of opportunities for kids over the summer and well into the next school year. Any additional funds raised will go towards expanding the program even further.


More than anything, I want to see these kids ride. If I have to sacrifice my own bike to put a smile on one of their faces, then that is what I will do. If you would like to support our mission, please help by donating to our GoFundMe campaign. The more bikes we can get, the more kids we can reach! Any amount helps!

Thank you in advance for your support, and PLEASE share this campaign with your friends, family, and communities! You can follow along with our mission on Instagram and Facebook, as you and I make a difference with these boys and girls!  #floodthestreetswithbikes

We're reaching out to you -- riders, parents, and community members -- for help improving Dirt World, a two-acre bicycle terrain park in the heart of Richmond, California. 

For the past two years, the park has been a magnet for BMX and MTB riders of all ages -- and now it's time to make it even better.  We're looking to do several cool things:

*Bring in new, high quality dirt for the existing jumps;

* Build some new jump lines and possibly add wooden launch ramps to reduce maintenance and increase fun;

* Improve the riding surfaces on the BMX and dirt pump track.


The park is maintained entirely by a small core of volunteers.

In the past, our partners at the City of Richmond were able to provide some modest financial support for the park. But now the city is going through major economic hardships due to the pandemic and is in the process of cutting tens of millions of dollars from the city budget. 

So we are hoping that the people who love the park can step up and help make it better. 

We know things are tough -- in fact, most of our volunteers are currently unemployed. But if you can support Dirt World, please do. We think it's gonna be a key recreation space as the Bay Area emerges from the lockdown. 

Also:

If you are a bike shop or bike brand, we'd love to get your support. 

And we are looking for in-kind contributions of clean dirt and lumber. 

Thanks again and much love from the Dirt World crew. 

More info: [email redacted]

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Thanks forJavier Anaya  for the dirt jump photos! 

Hi there, my name is Howard Cato and I am the founder of Bay Area BMXers, a grass roots  501(c)3 non-profit organization based out of the Bay Area of California. Our organization started as a simple way to make a positive, personal connection with the local youth and has quickly become an impactful outlet for the children to work on personal growth and systematically strengthen their own natural abilities.

I encourage kids to get out and ride for better health, to stay in school and get good grades. Students who make positive strides towards furthering their education are rewarded with a bike of their own. Through my visits to schools and after school programs, there are some children that want to learn more about BMX racing. Those children can enroll in our BMX Summer Camp where they are taught to ride on different area BMX tracks, are shown how to build a bike from the ground up, and are taken on rides all around the Bay Area.  

In order to bring all of these opportunities to life, we need a large van to be able to transport the children, bikes, and safety equipment. Unfortunately, our old van decided it was time to retire and renting vans for each event is a cost we simply can’t keep up with. 

Now, here is where you come in! We are raising funds to purchase Bay Area BMXers our very own 15 passenger van so that we can continue to bring our “Flood the Streets” movement and camps to children around the bay area. We need $50,000 to purchase our van and to cover the taxes, license, and insurance needed to be able to safely transport the children and equipment.


Thank you in advance for all of your kindness and support. It enables me to continue helping our inner city youth that wouldn't normally get a chance to have such a wonderful experience.