VIU Partners with Non-Profit to Give Bikes to Those in Need

Are you in need of a way to get to campus, but can’t afford to buy your own bike? Did you have your bike stolen on campus and can’t afford to replace it? VIU’s Health and Safety Office has joined forces with Bikes for Kids, a local non-profit organization started by The Nowik Team, to provide replacement bikes to those in financial need through the VIU Students’ Union and Financial Aid & Awards.

Bikes for Kids partners with the RCMP and two local bike repair shops to acquire bikes, service them and donate them to children in need. The organization has agreed to provide bikes to VIU’s Campus Security to distribute to VIU students and employees as needed. VIU, along with VIUSU, encourages everyone to register all bikes with Project 529, a community-powered bike recovery service, for free. Recipients can also buy a theft-deterrent Project 529 bike shield sticker at VIUSU for a small fee, and VIUSU or Campus Security will give them a 10% off discount card to purchase a bike lock from the Campus Store. If anyone has a used bike they want to donate to Bikes for Kids, please call 250-758-5524.

Photo caption: left to right: Dan Spivey, Acting Superintendent with Campus Security; Greg Nowik and Eddie Goncalves with The Nowik Team; and Mark Egan, VIU Health and Safety Advisor; show off the first round of bikes donated by Bikes for Kids.