'Bike Lady' donates bicycles to area foster care children

SANDUSKY — For Kate Koch, it's a bicycle cycle worth repeating.For nine consecutive years, Koch — who runs the Columbus-based nonprofit Bike Lady — has spearheaded fundraising campaigns, netting more than $600,000 to purchase almost 8,200 bicycles for at-risk youth across Ohio.In 2016, the nonprofit handed out a record 1,700 new Huffy bicycles just before Christmas.Of those 1,700 bikes, 68 went to children belonging to foster care systems in Erie, Huron and Sandusky counties.Koch, a foster parent to two children, explained her organization's premise."We raise money. We buy bikes through Huffy bicycles to provide bicycles at their actual cost with no profit being made. We have those bikes shipped from California. They go to prisons and are assembled by inmates. Once they're assembled, the bikes are given to county children services (departments) and given to kids."Every child asking for a bicycle received one in 2016."Erie County received 41 bicycles because there were 41 kids in foster care who needed a bicycle," Koch said. "They also are all age-, gender- and size-specific," Koch said.An infographic shows where the Bike Lady bicycles were distributed in 2016.Koch and her volunteers never actually meet the children receiving these bicycles because, "The foster care system is cloaked in confidentiality," she said.But when she does hear the feedback, it's almost always a universal positive reaction."It's a pretty significant gift for someone in foster care," Koch said.Koch, who started the nonprofit in 2008, said most people unfamiliar with foster care don't understand what owning a bicycle means to a child coming from a broken home."It makes them feel as if someone cares about them," Koch said. "Many take that for granted, but it's something significant for those in the foster care system."Kelly Wicker, who is Koch's friend, assisted in fundraising efforts. Wicker and her daughter Paige organized a riding program this past year which generated $1,100 for bicycles."What her and her charity do for kids and community is awesome," Wicker said. "Erie County has benefited from the generosity of so many, and I really just want to help spread the word of what she does further outside of the central Ohio community to help continue to bring bikes to kids who can't otherwise get them and educate the community on such a unique way to give back."Through the nonprofit Bike Lady, which distributes bicycles to at-risk youth across Ohio, Erie County received 41 bicycles for children in the local foster care system. Established in 2008, the organization has generated more than $600,000 in donations to purchase almost 8,200 bicycles for these children.Want to donate?What: Bike Lady, a Columbus-based nonprofit distributing bicycles to at-risk youth and children in statewide foster care systemsMission: "To enrich the daily life experience and expand opportunities of Ohio at-risk youth by providing new bikes, helmets and locks to children who have a history of abuse, neglect and abandonment and are served by county child protective services (or) foster care placement. And to provide Ohio inmate offenders a chance to give back through volunteer bike assembly community service."How: People can make tax-deductible donations by:• Calling 614-946-6463• Emailing: staff@bikelady.org• Visiting bikelady.orgThrough the nonprofit Bike Lady, which distributes bicycles to at-risk youth across Ohio, Erie County received 41 bicycles for children in the local foster care system. Established in 2008, the organization has generated more than $600,000 in donations to purchase almost 8,200 bicycles for these children.Through the nonprofit Bike Lady, which distributes bicycles to at-risk youth across Ohio, Erie County received 41 bicycles for children in the local foster care system. Established in 2008, the organization has generated more than $600,000 in donations to purchase almost 8,200 bicycles for these children.