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Auckland, August 30, 2019
Eighty children from 17 schools in West Auckland received free bicycles and helmets yesterday (August 29, 2019), thanks to ‘Variety,’ Children’s Charity and Auckland Transport, who worked together to raise funds as part of the Auckland Bike Challenge in February.
The event was held at the New Lynn Community Centre in West Auckland.
More than 5000 people completed the Bike Challenge, raising funds to purchase 80 bicycles and helmets for children from low-decile schools.
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said that Cycling has a range of benefits for children,
“It helps to improve health and fitness and promote independence and confidence. It is also great for the environment, helping to reduce carbon emissions and reducing traffic on our roads,” he said.
Helping Communities
Acknowledging those who supported the ‘Auckland Bike Challenge,’ Mr Goff said that since not all families can afford a bicycle for children, this initiative would help communities and ensure that the benefits of cycling can be enjoyed by more Auckland children.
Auckland Transport partnered with Variety to raise funds through its annual event which saw more than 5000 people across Auckland riding, including 1179 new riders who rode almost one million kilometres.
National Campaign
The Auckland Bike Challenge is part of the ‘Aotearoa Bike Challenge,’ a National Campaign run by the New Zealand Transport Agency, Love to Ride, Councils and other local partners around the country.
Variety has been operating in New Zealand for 30 years, helping to give disadvantaged Kiwi children the childhood they deserve through a range of different programmes and initiatives.
