For teenagers, bikes are not only a means of transportation, they’re a vehicle that allows them a bit more freedom as they grow up, and Youth en Route looks to keep it that way.

On June 10, Youth en Route held a bike giveaway at Forest Lawn High School (FLHS). Forty-five bikes were given to students as part of the program.

“We really just think bikes are freedom. Bikes are, ‘I can get a job, I can visit my friends, I can play soccer.’ One kid came in and said he’s doing summer school, and he’s really excited because now he does not take the bus,” said Laura Shutiak, executive director and founder of Youth en Route.

Youth en Route has been working with FLHS for the last two semesters and has taught more than 400 students how to ride a bike and the benefits of doing so. FLHS has one of the lowest bike ownership percentages in the city with only 30 per cent of students owning one.

“This is really giving them an opportunity that they wouldn’t have,” said Shutiak.

The students given bikes today were introduced to how to get around Calgary, provided a helmet, lock, and information pamphlet about bike maintenance and care. The bikes are also all checked over by a bike mechanic before being handed over to the students.

Bikes for the program are all acquired by donation and the extra bikes were given to students, and to free up classroom space at FLHS.

“Pretty much every time that we’ve been out here, anytime I got to do an interview with a student, they were always so grateful for having this opportunity to get on a bike,” said Christian Savard, communications assistant for Youth en Route.

Aman Gebrhiet is one of the students given a bike. He’s had his bike stolen on two previous occasions and says it’s his main means of transportation and exercise. The lock given to him today was much more substantial than anything he’d used in the past.

“I’m so excited about the bike I got today,” said Gebrhiet.

Gifting these bikes to the students is the last step in their program of teaching them how to ride and showing students the accessibility that riding a bike allows them in the city.

“They rode six kilometers and Stuart and Duncan (cyclists in residence) would come back and say, ‘OK so how far do you think we rode?’ Most of those kids thought it was one or two kilometers. They had no idea that it was six because they’ve never had that experience,” said Shutiak.

Youth en Route is currently a self-funded program with all of the funding coming from the directors and relies on volunteer work from its members. They are currently looking for a means of long-term sustainable funding.

“Bikes don’t cost us very much money. It’s the labour to get them fixed up that costs money, you know, the parts and pieces,” said Shutiak.

Youth en Route hopes to keep educating and promoting biking to Forest Lawn students. Ridership at the school is currently four per cent, but they are hoping to bring that up to 10, which would be 150 students riding their bikes to school.

The program that Youth en Route runs is currently in 13 schools including FLHS and more information and links to donate can be found on their website.