Happy 24th Birthday Bworks

Come join us on Saturday, October 13 from 6 to 10 PM at St. Louis Bworks located at 2414 Menard Street in the Soulard area.

This will be a block party and birthday party and all are welcome.  Come along, bring the family, invite a friend.  There will be fun and food for purchase at food trucks from :  L’École Culinaire, Frostbite Gourmet Ice Cream, & Papa m’s Fancy Franks.

Join us in this family friendly.

Bworks is also celebrating its first year in our new Soulard location and we would like to thank the local community for its warm welcome.

volunteer to help during the event, click here to go to the Birthday Party Volunteer Form.

Bworks began in 1988 as St. Louis Bicycle Works and was originally located in the Shaw neighborhood.  For the past 24 years we have  served the kids of the St. Louis area guided by our idea that, “Children – or any young people for that matter – can thrive when they have the opportunity to challenge their abilities in a safe, supportive environment”.   that end, over the years, we have developed three touchstone programs designed to imerse kids in a specific task that supports learning, enhances group cooperation and builds character through our Earn-A-Bike, Earn-A-Computer & Create-A-Book programs.

You can become apart of our efforts by donating your time or money, donating a bicycle, bike parts or computer, or simply by stopping by Bworks and purchasing a bicycle for yourself or members of your family.  Bworks is a volunteer run 501(c)(3) organization with 2 1/2 paid staff and over 120 regular volunteers.  Your donation or your support through a purchase goes directly into our kids programs.

Help us make a difference for a kid!

Saturday, October 13 • 6 – 10 PM

The Bicycle Men

Marion Prison program two years later. Two years ago, Dave Schepers and I started training twelve inmates at a Federal Penitentiary to repair bicycles. Over the course of the last two years, these inmates have refurbished 2025 bicycles to date.

The prisoners have worked diligently to restore the used bikes to a condition that a child would be happy to see. They not only repair the bike, but they put in extra effort into cleaning all the bike parts by polishing the chrome, and generally restoring the bike to as close to “new” as possible. The inmates work in a large room filled with televisions and exercise equipment, surrounded by 20-30 inmates sitting in chairs watching the world go by on TV. The men who work on these bikes have chosen to do something productive rather than working out and watching TV.

What started two years ago as an experiment to increase the number of bikes we could build for the kids at Bicycle Works and other non-profits has evolved into more than we imagined. Early in 2012, during a trip to the prison, one of the inmates pulled us aside. He wanted to let us know that over the course of the eight years he was at the penitentiary, he never felt like he was given a chance to repay society for the crimes he committed. He thanked us for this opportunity and let us know that he was being released. Every time one of the inmates is released from the prison, we have received a similar thank you. Because of the inmates and their dedicated work, our organization has gone from giving away two or three hundred bikes per year to kids, to providing over 1200 bikes per year to a much broader community. Our organization has grown from working with a few non-profits in St. Louis, to helping numerous non-profits across Missouri and Illinois.

Here are the portraits of the “Bicycle Men.” Patrick Van Der Tuin

Executive Director

Thanks St. Louis!

For Your Support.

Bworks would like to thank all who supported the 4th Annual Urbann Assault, June 3

The Urban Assault Ride™ is the biggest Bicycle Obstacle Event series in the nation! Here’s how it works: You and your teammate will set out on a city-wide quest for ‘checkpoints’ on your favorite two-wheeled steeds.  At each checkpoint, you’ll drop your bikes and complete a funky/adventurous obstacle course, then remount your bikes and hit the streets for more. The goal is to complete all the checkpoints in the shortest amount of time. You choose your own route and checkpoint order. This means that the most clever are often the victors.

Can’t ride but want to help during Urban Assault please Email us and let us know how you can help! Click here or address your email to info@bworks.org.

Help us help kids by volunteering. Get it in gear and become an Urban Assault St. Louis Bworks Volunteer. The day will be fun and your help will go a long way by supporting our BikeWorks kids Earn-A-Bike program as well as other Bworks programs.

For complete information about the June 3rd Urban Assault St. Louis event please click here.