New bikes replaced those stolen from Tacoma area storage site last September
Representatives from the Employees Community Fund of Boeing Puget Sound (ECF) joined Cascade Bicycle Club and the Major Taylor Project today for the delivery of new bicycles at Chief Leschi School in Puyallup.
The new bikes were purchased through a $20,000 emergency response grant from ECF after 31 others were stolen from a Tacoma storage site last September as they awaited transport to Chief Leschi. The bikes were part of Cascade’s Major Taylor Project, an after-school youth development program operating in several middle and high schools across Tacoma and Seattle.
The ECF is an employee-owned and managed charitable giving program. Boeing ECF grants enable Health & Human Service agencies to purchase much-needed equipment, renovate their facilities and build new construction that directly benefit their clients.
“The employees of Boeing Puget Sound are excited to help these kids get back on their bikes,” said Kimberly Marler, an ECF trustee. “Boeing employees are committed to helping our neighbors, and ECF was able to respond quickly. This is a great example of the tremendous impact thousands of Boeing Puget Sound employees can have by pulling together to help our community.”
ECF representatives joined Cascade staff and students to help unload the new bikes and commemorate the start of the Major Taylor Project spring ride club at Chief Leschi. The school is one of 17 middle and high schools where the Major Taylor Project empowers teens from diverse communities. In MTP after-school clubs, students establish healthy habits, build relationships, gain confidence and discover their ability to affect positive change. The program serves more than 500 students annually.
Major Taylor Project Manager Rich Brown said “we’re really grateful for how the community came together to support these students.” He continued “the gift of these new bikes is confirmation that this program matters. These students are so ready to get out there and ride and accomplish their goals.”
To learn more about the Major Taylor Project, visit cascade.org/mtp.
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