Elmhurst Charity Event Provides Bikes For CPS Students

ELMHURST, IL — If you are looking to donate or get rid of any outgrown or gently used bicycles, you can do so at an upcoming charity event in Elmhurst. A "Pedal Power" event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 27, at Stemples Cycle Center, 494 Spring Road.

Grant and Lauren Schleiter are helping to organize this event for the Elmhurst community for the second time. Grant is an eighth grader at Immaculate Conception Grade School, while Lauren is a sophomore at Fenwick High School.

"Pedal Power" was started in 2008 by Nicole and Bennett Basil of Wilmette and involves the collection and distribution of outgrown, unused and gently used bikes. The bikes donated to "Pedal Power" are inspected and then given to Chicago Public School student as a reward for earning good grades and making the honor roll.

Grant and Lauren are friends of the Basil's, and the siblings decided to extend the event to Elmhurst last year.

Stemples will again perform quick safety checks on all of the bikes and can perform minor repairs if necessary, according to a release. A grant through the Evanston Bike Club will also supply helmets for all of the CPS students who make the honor roll and receive bikes.

Lastly, Divvy, Chicago's bike share program, is donating trucks and drivers to transport the collected bikes from the bike collection points to the CPS schools on the date of the event.

Over the past ten years, more than 3,000 bikes have been donated to this cause, according to a release. In 2017, Lauren and Grant collected 154 bikes at the Elmhurst location and the group in total collected over 500.

Photos provided by Dori Schleiter.