Rye Teens to Receive 2015 Volunteer Spirit Award

The nonprofit, Linking Handlebars, will be honored on April 30th at the 35th Annual Volunteer Spirit Awards from Volunteer New York! (volunteernewyork.org/awards). The organization, which is dedicated to giving others the gift of biking was developed (and run) by Rye teenagers since 2012. It is devoted to promoting healthier lifestyles for children in need through the gift of a used bicycle. Their goal is to give children the opportunity to experience the benefits of cycling including exercise, transportation, and enjoyment of the great outdoors.

The group behind Linking Handlebars shows that the call to service can happen at any age, and that volunteering for a cause can change lives and impact entire communities! The Volunteer Spirit Awards is the perfect venue to hear their story and become inspired by all the ways that volunteering is moving the needle forward throughout Westchester, Rockland and Putnam - every single day!

Linking Handlebars, as a nonprofit run by teenagers, stands out for their ability to use their available area connections and resources to collect these gently-used bicycles and then to repair and refurbish them for other youth. To date over 320 bicycles have found new homes with children who are living or enrolled at Don Bosco, the Carver Center, Ward Summer Reading Institute of Port Chester and New Rochelle’s Hope Community Service. Children are paired up with available bikes by their heights and ages. In some cases, tricycles are even supplied for younger siblings. The group also raises money to purchase the helmets needed to ride the bikes legally and safely.

Linking Handlebars was formed in 2012 by sisters Lucia and Christiana Villani, and friends Bridget Salici and Jennifer Cammisa, all of Rye High School. Each young woman takes on a different role and responsibilities in the organization.

The links with the Villani family are particularly strong and all the siblings have been part of the program’s growth and development. Christiana stepped up to become more involved when Lucia left for Cornell in the fall of 2014. When Christiana leaves for college in the fall of 2015, brother Lucca is slotted to take over. “We have bikes stored all over our house waiting for the distribution this spring” Christiana notes. “We even have some sitting in the living room.”

Want to get involved with the 35th Annual Volunteer Spirit Awards Breakfast Benefit? Call 914-227-9307, email allison@volunteernewyork.org or visit www.volunteernewyork.org/awards (Sponsorship and journal ad opportunities are still available).