Madison, WI – Bikes for Kids Wisconsin, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing the use of bicycle-based transportation for everyone in Wisconsin, provided 500 bicycles and helmets to pre-registered recipients at the 2025 Bikes for Kids Annual Bike Giveaway event on April 5th at 354 Coyier Lane in Madison. Area nonprofit organizations and schools applied to receive bikes in the fall, then registered individuals facing transportation barriers to receive their free bikes at the event. The Bike Giveaway season runs for two months with organizations receiving bikes through bulk loads where they bring trucks to pick up their bikes to distribute on their own, a voucher system where individuals come on an as needed basis, and the annual in-person Bike Giveaway event in the spring. 

Each year, Bikes for Kids Wisconsin distributes 2,000 bikes to people most in need in the community. The organization also teaches Bike Mechanics classes for area youth. Bicycles are donated to Bike for Kids by the public throughout the year, then refurbished by volunteers, tuned up by skilled mechanic staff to ensure safety, then are distributed to those most in need. 

After the April 5th giveaway event, the organization has now surpassed 13,000 bikes distributed in Dane County and throughout Wisconsin, a value of over $5 million dollars reinvested in the community and saved over 88,000 pounds of materials from going into landfills. Some of the organizations that received bicycles included the African Center for Community Development, Active Youth Wisconsin, Black Girl Magic, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee, Menasha School District, Bad River Family Foundations, Great Lakes Inter Tribal Council, Dane County Youth Justice & Prevention Program, Emerson Elementary School, LaFollette High School, Blackhawk Middle School, Jamestown Neighborhood Association, Stoughton Resettlement Assistance Program, and Nekoosa School District.  

Leah Kutschke, a social worker with Monona Grove School District applied and received bikes on April 5th. She stated, “Bike access is an incredible benefit to the students and families of our community. With limited city bus access in Monona and Cottage Grove, having a bike provides not only recreation opportunities for our students, but also transportation that allows them to build their independence. We are incredibly grateful to Bikes for Kids for connecting our students with the gift of wheels!” 

Kristie Goforth is the Executive Director of the statewide organization Bikes for Kids Wisconsin. She commented on the importance of recognizing that bikes are far more than just recreational for the people they serve. “We have hundreds of stories from youth and adults about how the bikes we gave them provided economic mobility—their bikes allowed them to get jobs or go to college changing the trajectory of their lives by helping them elevate their financial status,” stated Goforth. “It’s incredibly rewarding because we provide thousands of bikes to people in need each year and hearing their stories, it’s what fuels us,” she added. 

In 2024, the organization had to make some difficult financial decisions to ensure long-term financial sustainability. Kristie said, “The model I inherited when I accepted this position five years ago was to give everything away for free. I don’t know many organizations that exist beyond a few years with that business model. So we made the hard decision to instate a $20 per bike application fee for our distribution partners to create a true partnership model. I’m thrilled to see that our distribution partners realize the importance of bikes and were able to fundraise to cover the fee. We are still subsidizing the bikes at a rate of 85% but it’s a wonderful boost to our bottom line to have this financial support from partners and it ensures that we’ll be around for the long-term.”

 

Bikes for Kids Wisconsin is open to the public Monday through Saturday for used bike sales and repairs. Every purchase is reinvested back into the organization so they can continue their efforts making bicycling sustainable, equitable, and affordable for everyday transportation for all, not just those who are fortunate enough to afford a bicycle. Goforth added, “There are few societal challenges that aren’t improved by more people biking. Winter is getting shorter so we’re seeing a longer bike season. It's a benefit to all of us, whether we participate or not because bikes also reduce air and water pollution and they alleviate parking demand and traffic congestion.” 

About Bikes for Kids Wisconsin:

Formerly known as Free Bikes 4 Kidz Madison, Bikes for Kids Wisconsin is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that held its first bike giveaway in Madison in spring 2017. The organization hosts its annual Bike Giveaway Program distributing 2,000 bikes annually, its Bike to Work Program for refugees and older teens and adults, provides youth education through its Bike Mechanics classes in the fall, offers a free Community Bike Disposal Program, and sells used bikes and low-cost repairs for the public year-round. They are located at 354 Coyier Lane, Madison, WI 53713. 

Planet Bike proudly supports Bikes for Kids Wisconsin through our annual advocacy giving through the 1% for the Planet program.

Media inquiries:

Bikes for Kids Wisconsin – Executive Director Kristie Goforth, at kristie@BikesForKidsWI.org, call or text 608-444-8641.

Photo credits: 

Photos by Kristie Goforth.