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DMCAR Partners with Wish for Wheels to Build and Deliver Bikes for Area Youth

DENVER – Members of The Denver Metropolitan Commercial Association of REALTORS® (DMCAR) have partnered with Wish for Wheels to build and deliver 25 new bikes (and helmets) for Denver’s at-risk youth.

Founded in 2004, Wish for Wheels — a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving schools in the Denver area — is determined to make a difference by providing new bikes and helmets to elementary school kids. The mission is to transform the lives of kids from low-income families, broadening their scope for personal growth and a healthy lifestyle through the gift of a new bicycle.

Working side-by-side with the neighborhood kids and family members selected from Denver’s Sun Valley neighborhood and the Sun Valley Youth Center, members of DMCAR and Wish for Wheels met at Rude Park Recreation Center in Denver in late July to build the bicycles that will be used by the more than 900 youth living in the neighborhood thanks to a newly created bike-share program.

Kris Rollerson, executive director of the Sun Valley Youth Center helped create the program by securing grant funding to obtain bike racks, locks and creating a monitoring system that allows neighborhood kids the opportunity to check out bikes at select community locations. Bikes from the DMCAR funded build will be housed at the bike stations and accessed by neighborhood kids through bike monitors.

“The Wish for Wheels model is built on connecting companies and organizations that have a philanthropic focus and desire to be engaged in their communities with the kids who are most in need of assistance,” said Wish for Wheels Build/Give Manager, Chris Webster. “The DMCAR leadership team and its members understand our challenges, trust us and are willing to put not only their financial backing into this effort but their volunteer time as well to ensure that these kids get a chance to experience the pure enjoyment that comes with riding a bike.”

DMCAR directors and executive leadership team members, including President Jon Hendrickson, got a chance to meet many of the recipients and their families, and build the bikes together. The project was made possible through sponsorship funding from Fidelity National Title, ARA, A Newmark Company, as well as the law firm of Burns Figa & Will. Kids were also treated to lunch courtesy of Fidelity National Title and DMCAR was able to provide additional food and beverages for the participants to take home.

“As an association, our goal is not to just give back, but to engage with our community in a meaningful way,” said DMCAR President Jon Hendrickson. “We literally watched facial expressions and body language change as we worked together to build these bicycles and provide assets for an entire community of young kids.”

Founded in 1994, the Denver Metropolitan Commercial Association of REALTORS® represents approximately 2300 commercial REALTORS® in the Denver metropolitan area and is the largest commercial REALTOR® association in the country.

Image courtesy of Wish for Wheels.

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