Andree Sanders Interviews with JAM ( Just Ask Marlene)

We asked our favorite industry VIP’s to share

what’s on their minds, what they’re working on

and what makes them tick.  jam is so excited to have 

Andree as our VIP!

What is Trips for Kids? Trips for Kids Metro New York is a non-profit organization that provides mountain bike outings and environmental education for kids who would not otherwise have these opportunities.  It teaches lessons in personal responsibility, achievement, and environmental awareness through the simple act of having fun while enabling them to realize their full potential. You can learn more about TFKMNY at http://www.tfkmetrony.org/ How did you get involved with this organization? I was first introduced to Trips For Kids Metro New York in 2002 at the New York Bike Show. I started as a passionate volunteer and now I am the Executive Director. During my first ride, I watched a group of 10-16 year-old boys have the time of their lives and it inspired me to continue to help others. That was in 2002, and I have never looked back. What are you hoping for kids to get out of these trips? I hope these kids get a new outlook on life from these rides.  We focus on their accomplishments throughout the day and teach them how to apply these lessons to their everyday lives. We also introduce them to exercise and nutrition, which they are not usually exposed to, in a fun and exciting format. Most importantly, I want them to have FUN and come back for more! What has been your greatest accomplishment at TFK? In the three years that I have been Executive Director, we have gotten several hundred kids out on bikes.  That is more kids on bikes than all of the prior years combined.  I have created a strong client base and fundraising program to keep our rides funded. Getting the kids to challenge themselves and have fun is a formula that works.  I look forward to improving the program and reaching even more kids next year! You have 2 kids, how are they involved in TFK? My family plays a big part in Trips for Kids Metro New York. My husband helps lead trips with me, and my 10 year-old son is an amazing ride volunteer who demonstrates the bike positions and skills needed to ride off road.  It is nice for the kids to have someone their own age helping out - this way they can see that it is possible to do. My 3 year-old daughter even comes along, attached to my bike in a chariot. It’s great to be able to teach my children to give to others, while showing them how a family can work and play together.  What has been your favorite part about this program? I love seeing how the kids have transformed in just a few hours.  At the beginning we have them try to ride up a hill, which many of them can’t do. By the end of the ride, they are racing up that same hill! It is an amazing for them to measure their own skill growth. The kids have a great time.  They learn skills in biking and team building, and most importantly, they learn to have confidence in themselves. My favorite part is seeing the smiles on their faces after they finish a ride. It makes me want to share this experience with every child I meet!  Go to JAM's website for the complete story  http://justaskmarlene.com/vip.html

Volunteer Tells All To CLIMB !

CONCERNED LONG ISLAND MOUNTAIN BICYCLISTS

My Experience with

Trips for Kids-Metro New York

by Peter Rudolph

This story is about my experience volunteering for Trips for Kids. I had heard about the program, but didn’t know much about it. A couple weeks ago I was approached by a friend and fellow mountain biker to help lead a ride at Bethpage State Park. As he explained it, we would just be “taking kids out for a day of riding.” Little did I know what I was in for.

As the kids arrived I was a little nervous, and I could see that they were as well. We got them set up with helmets, gloves and name tags. The first smiles came when they re- ceived their own personal water bottle to keep. This also made me smile. We then gave instructions on safety and the operation of the bikes, such as how to shift the gears, use the brakes, etc.

Next, we fit them on the bikes one by one. As we fit each kid the excitement and nervousness grew again. Some of them seemed completely unable to ride. Once fitted, we started to get them to try and ride. Some took right off while others needed a lot of help. After 30 minutes of be- coming familiar with the bikes, it was time to hit the trails.

I would be leading the group with the help of several oth- er volunteers. We headed out on one of the easier sections to get the kids warmed up. Right away the first kid behind me, Ahmed, started asking questions: “How good are these bikes? How much does yours cost? How long have you been riding? Where do you ride?” We continued along and the kids improved with each turn of the wheel, learning to shift at the right time and how to tackle the terrain.

Riding with a lot of people makes for a slower ride, having to stop for others to catch up. Each time we stopped, Ahmed and another boy, Hamed, were right behind me. I could tell they wanted to let it rip and that they were strong riders. Ahmed and Hamed said they had never been on mountain bike trails before, but you could have fooled me. We rode for about an hour and then headed back for lunch.

After lunch we broke into groups, and I led a ride of the advanced riders which included Ahmed and Hamed of course. We rode some of the most challenging trails and as usual, Ahmed was right behind me. At one point he said,

“This is the best day I’ve had all summer!” He really loved it and couldn’t get enough, becoming a better rider with each challenge we encountered. At each stop, I taught them about trail etiquette, such as yielding to pedestrians and equestrians, how to read trail signs and safety, and Ahmed always had a lot of questions. His enthusiasm was amazing and contagious.

We rode for one and a half hours then returned to the group. The rest of the group was tired, but I could see that Ahmed wanted more. I asked him if he wanted to check out some really cool stuff and before I finished my sentence he was on his bike. We took off to hit the most challenging terrain in the park.

I took it nice and slow to make sure he was OK as we made our way to the top of one of the biggest hills. At the top we peered down one trail and I said “That trail looks scary, right?” and he said, “Let’s do it!” I asked if he was sure and he said he was, so down we went. At the bottom, he mentioned to me how he had seen this kind of riding on TV and couldn’t believe he just did it. We went on to ride everything in the park and he never fell once.

At the end of the day after everyone had returned, we gathered for cookies and to tell the group about our expe- riences that day. When it was Ahmed’s turn, he said how much fun he had riding with me, his new “riding buddy.” When it was my turn, I explained that after all my years of riding, I realized that I was not as good as I thought! That’s because of how he made all the trails look so easy when I always thought they were so hard.

After we had packed up and the kids were relaxing, Ahmed came over to me, shook my hand and gave me a hug and said, “Thank you, I’ll never forget you and this day as long as I live.” I was extremely touched to say the least. To think I had that much of an impact on someone was truly amazing.

TFK is a unique and rewarding experience, not only for the kids, but the volunteers as well. I look forward to vol- unteering again, but I will always remember that day and how it affected not only me, but Ahmed and all the kids.

Leadville Winner Rebecca Rusch Appear at Manhattan Showing...

Leadville Winner Rebecca Rusch to Appear at Manhattan Showing of Race Across the Sky

19 OCTOBER 2009 NO COMMENT

Rusch poses with the *other* Leadville winner. What

This Thursday, 2009 Leadville 100 womens winner Rebecca Rusch will make a live appearance at the Union Square 14 movie theater in New York City for the showing of “Race Across the Sky”. Come meet this endurance racing legend (2 time 24 Hour Solo world champion)  before the movie inside the Union Square 14 theater, or throw back some drinks with her at the official NYCMTB afterparty at Professor Thom’s (2nd Ave between 13th and 14th) from about 9:45pm onward.

Only in NYC can you watch the Leadville race movie with one of the winners of the race! If you can’t make the movie, come out for the afterparty. We’ll have some NYCMTB swag to give away, and Rebecca’s bringing her own stash of goodies from her sponsors, including Specialized and Red Bull!Publish Post

It’s shaping up to be one heck of a night of mountain biking…

Trips for Kids Named 2009 Non-Profit Organization of the Year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Trips for Kids Named 2009 Non-Profit Organization of the Year by the  California Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports SAN RAFAEL, Calif. - Oct. 13, 2009 - The California Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports selected Trips for Kids (TFK) as its 2009 Non-Profit Organization of the Year from more than 700 nominees. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Anthem Blue Cross Foundation presented the award to TFK with a gold medal on September 16, 2009 at the Fourth Annual Spotlight Awards ceremony in Sacramento, Calif. As part of the award, Trips for Kids will receive a $10,000 donation at a special ceremony in San Rafael, Calif., on Nov. 19. "Trips for Kids is overjoyed to be the recipient of this prestigious award," said Marilyn Price, founding director of TFK. "Recognition from the Spotlight Awards will significantly boost our visibility and encourage more people to sign up as Trips for Kids chapters. The prize will really help us give underserved youth an opportunity to be active through our mountain bikes rides." The California Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting physical activity for all Californians with an emphasis on children and youth. Anthem Blue Cross Foundation has granted more than $1.75 million to the Council over the last five years. "I congratulate all of this year's Gold Medal winners," Governor Schwarzenegger said. Council Chairman Jake Steinfeld, founder of Major League Lacrosse and Exercise TV said, "We're proud to shine a spotlight on each of our awardees because they are each doing something amazing to help California's children." Trips for Kids is a 21-year-old national non-profit based in San Rafael, Calif., with programs that give underserved youth a chance to experience the joy and challenge of mountain biking, while learning valuable life skills and an appreciation for the outdoors. There are currently 66 Trips for Kids chapters in the United Stated, Canada and Israel. For more information on Trips for Kids, please visit www.tripsforkids.org or call founding Director Marilyn Price at 415.458.2986. # # # About Trips for Kids  Trips for Kids (www.tripsforkids.org) is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization based in Marin County, California. With 60-plus chapters operating in the United States, Canada and Israel, Trips for Kids opens the world of cycling to at-risk youth through mountain bike rides and Earn-A-Bike programs. Trips for Kids started in 1988 as a grass roots effort by avid mountain biker, environmentalist and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame inductee Marilyn Price to provide inner-city youth a way to enjoy the outdoors and gain much-needed life skills. Fueled by success in the San Francisco Bay Area, the national organization was launched in 1999 with the expanded mission to open as many chapters as possible in order to provide kids with lessons in personal responsibility, achievement and environmental awareness through the development of practical skills and the simple act of having fun through mountain biking. MEDIA CONTACTS: Marilyn Price, Trips for Kids, 415.458.2986, info@tripsforkids.org or Maura Lansford, SOAR Communications, 801.523.3730(wk), mlansford@soarcomm.com

Exciting things happening for Mountain Biking

Mountain biking goes national in schools!   This is very exciting.

High School Mountain Bike Program Goes National
Sep 23^rd, 2009, 5:30pm 

NorCal Cycling Program Goes National

National Interscholastic Cycling Association Grows Out of NorCal League
New Organization for High School Cycling Attracts Industry Support

Contact: Matthew Fritzinger matt@nationalmtb.org  Tel: (510) 524-5464 www.nationalmtb.org

BERKELEY, Calif.—The National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) is launching October 1 as a new organization to promote and facilitate interscholastic high school mountain biking in the USA.

With Specialized Bicycle Components stepping in as the National Founding Sponsor, and the Easton Sports Development Foundation II stepping up its backing of the SoCal League to include a sponsorship match program at the national level, the fast emerging national association shows it has earned the trust and support of major industry players.

While the search for sponsorship continues in the quest to fully meet operating costs, a Trailblazer’s Team of individual benefactors has been established to provide additional support in getting – and keeping – the association off the ground. Early members of this important group include Charles Moore of McGuire Real Estate and Scott Tedro of Sho-Air International.

NICA has grown out of the highly successful NorCal High School Mountain Bike Racing League, which is now entering its tenth year.  The launch of NICA follows the successful first year of the NorCal League spin-off, the SoCal Interscholastic Cycling League.

The new association is led by NorCal League founder, Matt Fritzinger, and will commence its work with four state or regional chapters. The initial states and regions are Northern California, Southern California, Colorado, and Washington.

By 2020, NICA’s vision is to have developed high school mountain biking coast to coast by providing successful models of league development to interested regions.

Matt Fritzinger stated, “It's only because of the combined support of Specialized and ESDFII that we are able to launch this milestone effort.  This is a tremendously exciting step not only for us, but for mountain biking in the USA. Our Mountain Biking programs provide a range of positive experience for teenage kids, many of which would not have come to the sport if it were not for their high school team.  We are currently looking for two or three more major corporate partners and individual supporters to join our Trailblazers Team.”

Ned Overend, the 1990 Mountain Bike world champion, and a godparent of the sport, said, “This is exactly the kind of thing we need to develop not only mountain biking but all kinds of cycling in the USA. If league graduates want to go onto racing activities, that’s great, and they can choose which discipline inspires them. But many of these kids go on to a healthy, fulfilling life of recreational cycling—both on and off road—which they then introduce to their families. You can see how this will create growth in future generations. The importance of this kind of program for cycling in the USA cannot be overstated.”

NICA is also currently recruiting founding board members.

What: National Interscholastic Cycling Association launch
Where: Initially four areas: Northern California, Southern California, Washington, Colorado
When: Launch date October 1, 2009
Who: NICA’s executive director is Matt Fritzinger

About the National Interscholastic Cycling Association
NICA is the National Governing Body for grades 9-12 interscholastic mountain biking. With the support of National Founding Sponsor, Specialized Bicycle Components, and the Easton Sports Development Foundation II, NICA has been established to foster the development of high quality competitive cross-country mountain biking programs for high school aged athletes. NICA provides leadership, governance and program support to promote the development of interscholastic mountain biking leagues throughout the United States. 

Welcome to Trips for Kids Blog!

Welcome to Trips for Kids Metro New York’s  First blog!    I am so excited to share our adventure, our accomplishments and our goals with all of you!   To start off the blog I want to let you know who we are and what we do.

Trips for Kids Metro New York (TFK) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide mountain bike outings ,environmental and health education  for kids who would not otherwise have these opportunities.  We teach lessons in personal responsibility, achievement and environmental awareness through the simple act of having fun. 

TFK works specifically with lower income youths, ages 10-18 of all ethnic/racial backgrounds. These kids come from the five boroughs of New York City.  Each one works with the kids  as we ride and teaches them the skills needed to accomplish the ride.  The rides start off on mainly flat  terrain such as a dirt road , and as the day progresses,  the terrain changes to become more challenging.  By the end of the day,  the kids can ride over logs, climb and descend hills, and execute whoop-de-whoops (descending a large hill to climb up the next).  

Out on the trails, kids gain a fresh perspective; on their lives; the world, and their place in it.   After a fun-filled day of appreciating a portion of the environment that they are not often exposed to, filling their lungs with big breaths of clean air, and participating in a really fun and challenging physical activity, the children go home, smiling, inspired, with a head full of wonderful dreams and plans; sometimes for their future, or sometimes just for the next ride.

We have touched the lives of more than 165 kids this year with this experience out riding the trails in Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties.   To help you understand their experince, here are some of the things they have had to say:


“ I learned how to have confidence in myself”  Mayra, age 16

“ I have never seen so many trees”  Tony,  age 10

"Today I learned how to change gears on hills which made them possible.  I did way more than I thought I could do."  Yvonne, age 13

“I had the best day of my life”   Samuel,  age 16


Stay tuned as our season is not over yet!  We have more rides and will be keeping you up to date on our happenings.  Please check in!