Written by Alex on February 7, 2023/Park Tool News
Park Tool Announces Winners of 2022 Community Tool Grants
Park Tool Company is proud to announce the winners of the 2023 Community Tool Grants. For the eighth consecutive year, the company is awarding bicycle-related nonprofit programs with shop quality tools and repair stands. These Tool Grants will help these organizations expand and improve programs that are already making a huge difference in their communities.
Each of the twelve grant recipients will receive over $1,800 in Park Tool products including:
- 1 Park Tool PK-5 Professional Mechanic Tool Kit
- 2 Park Tool PCS-10.3 Portable Repair Stands
- 5 Park Tool SA-1 Shop Aprons
- 1 Park Tool BBB-4 Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair
The 2023 Park Tool Community Tool Grant Winners are:
The 816 Bicycle Collective — Kansas City, Missouri
The 816 Bicycle Collective is a 100% volunteer-run nonprofit community shop that believes in empowerment through education and supports the use of bicycles as a healthy & ecological means of transportation. Open to anyone regardless of identity or means, the 816 is a resource for repair help, recycled parts, tools and stands, and education.
The Bike Men of Flagler County — Bunnell, Florida
The Bike Men of Flagler County is a not-for-profit volunteer 501c3 charity bike shop accepting donations of new and used bicycles for repair and redistribution to those in need throughout Flagler County, Florida and its neighboring areas. In addition to rebuilding bikes, we offer no-cost repair services for clients of over 20 charitable and service organizations assisting those in need to the tune of 2,200 bicycles a year.
Community Bikes — Hamilton, New York
Community Bikes is a not for profit organization based in Hamilton, NY that collects and reconditions donated bicycles and places them with children and adults who would love to have a bike, but for whom buying one would be a hardship.
The Dirt Therapy Project — Windcrest, Texas
Our mission is to get the military community on bikes, and in the great outdoors where they can discover their own path to healing.
EkeRua ReBicycle — Wellington, New Zealand
EkeRua ReBicycle is a charity in the capital city of Aotearoa New Zealand whose volunteers repair donated second-hand bikes to gift to people living in the Wellington region, mostly to refugees, people on low incomes, and social housing residents. It’s a community-led initiative that gives back to the community, preventing useful resources ending up in the landfill, reducing transport carbon emissions, and enabling free, healthy transport options.
Shropshire Cycle Hub — Shrewsbury, United Kingdom
Shropshire Cycle Hub is a charity who accept donations of unused bikes and refurbish them using a mix of paid and volunteer labour so they can be used by people on low incomes to access work, education or leisure. Not having a bike is just one part of not being able to cycle: we provide lead rides, cycle training and mechanic training to empower people to overcome any barriers to cycling, and we also lobby local councils on active travel.
Susitna Bicycle Institute — Anchorage, Alaska
The Susitna Bicycle Institute is a non-profit bike mechanic school based in Anchorage, Alaska. Our mission is to strengthen Alaska’s communities by increasing access to bike maintenance, sharing the physical and mental benefits of cycling, and investing in local economies by supporting the creation of rural bicycle co-ops.
SWC Bikeology — Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Bikeology is a two-credit high school marketing course that teaches students the ins and outs of owning a small business through the lens of a bike shop. They learn everything from sales methods to the influences of technology to fixing bottom brackets. The program has also fixed and donated hundreds of bikes to the school community and beyond.
Velisol / Maison du Vélo — Caen, France
Vélisol is a non-profit organization running the “Maison du vélo ” in Caen (Normandy). We have developed several services including a self repair workshop, workshop sessions with the help of qualified mechanics, a low-budget second-hand bike shop and a biking-school for adult beginners or people who haven’t ridden in a long time. We also offer participative repair sessions in underpriviledged areas around Caen.
Waterside Workshops — Berkeley, California
Waterside Workshops engages youth and the community through hands-on learning in bicycle mechanics, wooden boatbuilding, and outdoor education. Waterside is a safe place for youth to feel heard, gain confidence, develop work skills, and access the tools and resources needed to lead healthy, sustainable lives. Each year, with the support of our youth interns, we refurbish, reuse, or recycle over 1,000 unwanted bicycles and serve 1,300 community members in our do-it-yourself open shop.