TFKV Leaders diggin’ Bobsled… literally!

This past Monday (August 9th), the TFKV Youth Leaders Club were the first group of volunteers to join the crew from the District of North Van to reshape a Fromme favorite – Bobsled!

Nate leading the group through an introduction

This joint project by the NSMBA and the DNV offers an exciting shift in North Shore trail-building; with a smooth and flowy style true to its’ namesake. Trips For Kids is UBER excited to take part in shaping new trails that are accessible to the beginner/intermediate rider. Props to the NSMBA and the DNV for developing this partnership, and the visioning for more collaboration into the future!

Many thanks especially to Nate, James, and Alex from the DNV for hosting us!

Check out more photos on our Facebook page (and “like” us please!): TFKV Fanpage

For more info on this project, and others: NSMBA Website

Call out for Volunteers – Lead a workshop for our Youth Leadership Club

Do you have a passion for mountain biking and/or playing in the local forests, mountains, oceans, dirt mounds, concrete bowls, or various other outdoor extreme adventure zones?

Here is THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME to share your experience, skills, and age-old (but not “old” old?) wisdom with an amazing group of teenagers.

The TFK Youth Leadership Club targets youth ages 13-17 with an interest in developing their biking skills, and gaining related training and volunteer experience. The program is centered around developing new skills and building self-esteem in a fun and supportive environment.

Past workshops have included:

• Intro to downhill riding (with various workshops focusing on skills such as body positioning, cornering, and line choice)
• Intro to trials
• Basic Bike Mechanics
• Sport Nutrition
• Action photography & photo shoot

We are open to all sorts of new ideas related to biking, outdoor education, and personal development. Please contact us with your ideas to lead a workshop, and/or alternatively volunteer to SUPPORT a workshop. There are many ways to get involved and we’d love to hear from you!

The following dates are scheduled for workshops. If none of these dates works for you, let us know and we can try to make arrangements. Thanks!

• Tuesday, July 6th (evening)
• Tuesday, July 13th (evening)
• Monday, July 19th (evening)
• Tuesday, July 27th (evening)
• Tuesday, August 3rd (evening)
• Monday, August 9th (evening)
• Saturday & Sunday, August 14-15th (weekend in Whistler)
• Tuesday, August 17th (evening)
• Tuesday, August 24th (evening)

Please contact Fleurie - fleurie@tfkvancouver.org for more information on how to get involved!

Have you caught the buzz??

The Peanut Butter buzzzz…. TFK is raising funds for our summer youth programs, and what better way then by “spreading” the love of a favorite healthy snack! For each donation of $30, TFK supplies a scrumptious jar of 100% natural Woodwards Peanut Butter AND our top secret recipe for TFK kid-friendly PEANUT BUTTER ENERGY BARS. Here’s how you get involved:

STEP 1: Click on our profile on http://www.givemeaning.com/project/tfkvancouver/member/103874 and make a donation. 100% of proceed go to TFKV!

STEP 2: Send an email to fleurie@tfkvancouver.org with your contact information.

STEP 3: Collect your jar and enjoy! By the spoonful, in a sandwich, in a savory satay… and feel free to share your original PB-infused recipes as a comment on our blog!

Did someone say PEANUT BUTTER BANANA TIME?!

YUP. Thanks to the help of our good friends at Nesters Market, TFK is able to present The (Crazy) Peanut Butter Banana Contest at the MEC Bikefest this Saturday! The prize? A HUGE SUPPLY OF PEANUT BUTTER! Yes, we’re serious.

This Saturday, June 12th TFK will be at the MEC Bikefest cooking some yummy veggie burgers from our other bbq sponsor YVES & peanut butter banana sandwiches! We’ll be on Twitter tweeting throughout the day and we want YOU to either: RT our crazy peanut butter tweets OR tweet about your own experience with our delicious peanut butter/banana treats – - TWITPICS are highly encouraged!!

Come by our booth this Saturday, June 12th at the MEC Bikefest at Creekside Park and let us know what you think about the peanut butter banana sandwiches. Just remember to tweet AT @ TripsforkidsVan, mention @ MEC Bikefest and use the #PBBT (Peanut Butter Banana Time) hashtag to grab our attention. You MUST tweet in order to be eligible for the prize. The winner will be chosen at random on Saturday and announced on both our Twitter & Facebook page!

Nesters Market is one of our fantastic sponsors for our Trips for Kids Vancouver BBQ at MEC Bikefest.  Nesters Market, ‘where the local’s shop’, is a great place to find all your healthy grocery needs in Vancouver.  Whether you need to fuel up pre-bike ride with a peanut butter smoothie or cook a great dinner after a hard day on the trails, Nesters can help!  For more information about Nester’s Market and their locations, check them out at http://www.nestersmarket.com/

YVES Veggie Cuisine is supplying our barbeque with delicious veggie burgers.  Don’t worry, YVES isn’t just for vegetarians.  Their burgers are so tasty meat eaters may give up meat forever once they taste them at the TFK barbeque on Saturday.  YVES Veggie Cuisine is conveniently sold at many local grocery stores so you can grab a great snack for your post-bike barbeque.  All the great details can be found at http://www.yvesveggie.ca/

For all important MEC Bikefest Information please click the link below:

http://bit.ly/dwnTF5

Looking forward to seeing you there,

The TFK Team

NOW RECRUITING Summer Events Volunteers!

TFKV is going to be “out and about” all summer long, and you should be too! We are participating in a ton of fun community events, and we are looking for volunteer support to make it happen.

There are many different ways to get involved, including (but not limited to):

-Velopalooza “KID-dy Cat Race” on June 6th: Volunteer to run a check-point station, partner with a kid-participant, or help with the BBQ. Event details at Velopalooza Event Website

-MEC Bike Fest on June 12th & July 25th: We are seeking volunteer support to plan and run the charity BBQ, and to host our TFKV booth at the event. Event details at MEC Bikefest Website

-Take A Kid Mountain Biking Day on October 2nd: Currently in the planning stages, get on board to make this event better than ever!

DOWNLOAD VOLUNTEER APPLICATION

Photos are up from Downbeat – check it out!

FOR ALL THOSE WHO ATTENDED DOWNBEAT – Big thanks for your continued support of our organization. Check out the links below for more photos, and please feel free to “like” us on our Trips For Kids Vancouver fanpage…. we sure do “like” you!

FOR ALL THOSE WHO MISSED OUT Why????? P.S. Please “like” us on facebook anyways… we will then consider “like”ing you back.

Facebook Photo Album
Flickr Photo Stream

DOWNBEAT FUNDRAISER – Come on out and show your support!

Trips for Kids presents the DOWNBEAT to their 2010 season
DOWNBEAT fundraiser and silent auction aims to send kids mountain biking

Vancouver, B.C.- Trips for Kids anticipates their largest audience ever at the annual DOWNBEAT event raising awareness and funds for their engagement of under-accessed youth in mountain biking initiatives. The DOWNBEAT fundraiser and silent auction will take place on Thursday May 13, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. at District 319.

DOWNBEAT offers guests diverse interactive visual and social experiences including still photography, film, DJ’s and indoor bike racing. The Crew from Anthill Films will share the ride with DOWNBEAT by premiering clips from their latest film Follow Me. Mountain bike and ski photographer Jordan Manley (who has worked with clients including Helly Hansen and Whistler/ Blackcomb) along with adventure photographer Dave Heath provide a visual gallery of mountain bike photography. Sport enthusiasts can race in Indoor Bike Sprints for the title of fastest DOWNBEAT racer.

DOWNBEAT’s silent auction is a unique collection of bike gear, apparel and adventures. Mountain bike aficionados will find all the latest gear from local Trips For Kids industry supporters including Race Face, Sombrio and Mace. Highlights for the outdoor enthusiast include surf lessons in Tofino and handmade Icelandic skis from Denver, Colorado. Other items including fashionable outerwear, designer jeans, wine, and chocolate baskets will appeal to the Trips for Kids supporters who are not necessarily involved in the mountain biking community.

Trips for Kids Vancouver relies on the tickets sales ($20 per person), silent auction and donations raised at DOWNBEAT to fund their 2010 summer mountain biking program. With a larger venue and entertainment that caters to a broader community, DOWNBEAT hopes to increase Trips for Kids Vancouver’s network and affirm their commitment to making mountain biking accessible to every youth.

ABOUT TRIPS FOR KIDS
Trips for Kids Vancouver is a registered non-profit which offers urban youth unique opportunities to develop leadership skills and achieve healthy, balanced lifestyles through mentorship and mountain biking adventures. As Trips for Kids Vancouver enters its tenth operating season, the organization continues to grow and evolve by diversifying their audience and encouraging everyone in the Lower Mainland to help get kids out on bikes.

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For more information, please contact:
Fleurie Hunter
Program Manager, Trips for Kids Vancouver
778.235.7989 or pr@tfkvancouver.org

Now Recruiting for the summer 2010 Youth Leadership Club!

TFK is now recruiting youth aged 14-17 for our Youth Leadership Club. This club is super fun, flexible, and great experience for those interested in exploring “out of the box” career options! This is your chance to learn about a whole new world of opportunities, and spend a ton of time exploring the forests and mountains around BC on a mountain bike.

And the best part is – it’s totally FREE!!

We offer youth the choice to build skills in tons of different areas including bike mechanics, sustainable trail-building (and jump building!), coaching/sport psychology/nutrition, and any related ideas you may have. Let us know what you’re interested and we’ll try to make it happen.

The group meets approximately once a week and there will likely be chances to go on a camping trip (or two!) as well.

Please send us an email for more information: fleurie@tfkvancouver.org

Thanks everyone for an AMAZING 2009 summer season!

Come join us at TAKE A KID MOUNTAIN BIKING DAY 2009

Check out the event page for more details!