DES MOINES, Iowa — The Des Moines Street Collective was able to give away more than 100 bikes to local kids ahead of Christmas.

The Des Moines Street Collective works to provide safe and accessible transportation options for everyone. Their Bike Shop is a non-profit bicycle workshop that provides a space for people to learn about cycling and bicycle mechanics.

This is the third year the Street Collective has come together to provide bikes for metro children, and families were excited about the opportunity.

“We advertised only in like three places., and from that, we managed to get about a thousand people to show up for the registration alone,” said Bobby Kennedy the Operations Manager for Street Collective.

The Collective was able to give away more than 100 bikes on Saturday and has given away more than 500 in the past year. The bikes that were given away had been donated through the community.

“They were just brought in one and two at a time, people cleaning out their garages or their closets,” said Kennedy. “It’s just all the community kind of stepping up now to give some love.”

The bikes are refinished by volunteers at the Street Collective, which Kennedy says is a good way to get people involved and started out.

“It turns out kid’s bikes, they’re good for volunteers because they’re kind of simple,” said Kennedy. “So, if you come volunteer at the collective, we often start you on kids’ bikes. They strip down every one of these bikes, put them back together and try to make them, like I tell everybody, try to make them look as good as new.”

On Saturday, kids were able to enjoy cookies and hot chocolate and then pick the bike they liked the best. They were also fitted for a helmet, courtesy Blank Children’s Hospital, and given a bike lock, courtesy the Des Moines Police Activities League.

The Collective is overjoyed by the continued success of the event and hopes that families will donate unused bikes so they can continue to spread some joy to families everywhere.

“There’s a huge need in Des Moines, and we’re just glad we can meet some of it.”

You can visit the Bike Shop at 506 East 6th Street Ste 100 in Des Moines and visit their website to learn more about donating a bike and volunteer opportunities.