Milpitas firefighters help keep things rolling at bike repair clinic

Milpitas residents brought their broken-down, flat-tired bikes with rusted chains and squeaky brakes to Fire Station No. 1 on July 22 for TurningWheels For Kids fourth bike repair clinic of the year, where volunteers from the Bike Doctorz fixed them for free.

Resident Stanley Lin rode to the fire station on the bike he bought at an impounded bike resale, followed by his three children riding their colorful hand-me-down bikes. Lin has been learning how to fix the family bikes himself and discovered TurningWheels For Kids as he was riding around town with his family that morning.

Valley Health Foundation Senior Program Manager Ignacio Vallejo, who has been running TurningWheels For Kids for a decade, welcomed families with refreshments. Vallejo checked the bikes and documented the maintenance needs while ensuring that every bike would leave the station with reflectors on the handlebar.

Dr. Tom of the Bike Doctorz coordinated the repairs. Volunteer Al, fresh off a 71-mile bike ride for his 71st birthday, worked at the tire repair station set up by volunteer Arye with the help of Milpitas Fire Department Battalion Chief Jon Powers. Together with David, Russ, Jared and other volunteers, the team gave the bikes all their attention and finesse to make them like new.

TurningWheels For Kids is a program of the Valley Health Foundation, a nonprofit organization that distributes bikes year-round through partnerships focused on preventing childhood obesity and supporting low-income families. TurningWheels For Kids was founded in 2005 and has since refurbished and donated more than 50,000 bikes.

TurningWheels For Kids offers team-building events through corporate bike build partnerships that lead up to building over 8,000 bikes for children in the community. Bike repair clinics are held across the Bay Area from spring to fall; close to 100 bikes are typically repaired at each clinic.

The next bike repair clinic is planned on Sept. 9 at the Mayfair Community Center in San Jose. For more information, visit https://www.turningwheelsforkids.org.