LANSING, Mich — The Allen Neighborhood Center in Lansing was bustling with activity Saturday as families lined up out the door for the Lansing Bike Co-op's annual holiday bike giveaway, where more than 120 bikes found new homes.
- The Lansing Bike Co-op gave away more than 120 free bikes to families Saturday at the Allen Neighborhood Center, with lines stretching out the door
- Parents received bikes for their children to create childhood memories while helping stretch tight holiday budgets
- The event required over a month of preparation with community partners and volunteers, with plans to continue for a 10th year.
"I used to love riding bikes up and down my driveway, I had a gravel driveway," said Tatiana Talberg, who received two bikes for her children.
WATCH: Lansing Bike Co-op gives away more than 120 bikes for free during holiday event
Talberg hopes the bikes will help create lasting memories for her kids while also easing her holiday budget.
"I had fun riding bikes as a kid, and I want my kids to have those same memories," Talberg said. "It definitely helps because everything is so expensive right now. It helps to have money for other things in your pocket."
The event required just over a month of preparation, according to Lansing Bike Co-op President Trevor Benoit, who worked with volunteers to collect, clean and repair the donated bicycles.
"We had a lot of support, a lot of mutual aid from our partners over at Share a Bike, Allen Street, Charity Bikes and the Tri County Planning Association," Benoit said.
The bike giveaway aims to provide transportation options for the surrounding community, with cycling serving as a sustainable solution for getting around.
"I think everyone is entitled to have transportation options and cycling is a really self-sustaining kind of way to do that transportation for everybody," Benoit said. "Hopefully it'll make them love cycling as much as I do."
Volunteers also helped fit helmets and safety equipment for recipients who needed them during the event.
The Bike Co-op plans to continue the tradition next year for the 10th year, with hopes of surpassing this year's bike distribution numbers.
"They were really great, really helpful, very kind, very respectful, and it was a really good event," Talberg said about the volunteers.
Information about year-round involvement with the Lansing Bike Co-op can be found here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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