The Power of Youth
The story starts the way many do in the non-profit world – a project needing funding. In this case, the project was outfitting a recumbent foot-pedal bike with an electric motor, making it an option that more people can use to enjoy biking in Jackson. The bike is a wonderful option for individuals who cannot ride an upright bike, but have the ability to pedal with their feet. It can navigate a variety of conditions including snow, trails, and bike paths, and can fit a wide variety of individuals. The motor would support riders as they pedal so they could bike alongside friends and family and travel farther with confidence.
Teton Adaptive has many, awesome, adaptive bikes already in our fleet, including recumbent foot pedal bikes, hand cycles and full-throttle adaptive mountain bikes. However, we do not currently have a recumbent, foot-pedal e-bike. Jackson is an incredibly e-bike friendly place, and many people choose to recreate on e-bikes. Over the past two years, we have had a number of people inquire about this type of bike because it would allow them to ride alongside other e-bikes. An e-assist motor can also mean that athletes can bike longer distances or for longer periods of time and fatigue less easily.
Teton Adaptive set out to solve the problem of funding the purchase of the e-assist motor by applying for the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole’s Youth Philanthropy Grant. This incredible program places grant decisions in the hands of local high school students, who read every application and allocate grant funds as they see fit. We asked the Youth Philanthropists to help fund this project, and were delighted to receive partial funding, among 30 other, incredible non-profits in the Valley. This is how it goes in the non-profit world. The award brought us one step closer to solving the problem, though we still need more to see the project through.
photo courtesy of the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole
That’s when Pete, Clayton, and Hudson, three 7th grade boys at Jackson Hole Middle School approached us. As part of a class project, they wanted to host a fundraising event to raise awareness and money for Teton Adaptive. Their idea was to run as many laps around the track as they could, and ask friends and family to pledge their support for each lap. The boys raised over $1000 for Teton Adaptive, enough for us to finally purchase the e-motor!
The culmination of this story is better than we could have hoped, not only did we accomplish what we set out to do, outfit a recumbent, foot pedaled bike with an e-assist motor, we also were able to share our mission with young people in Jackson Hole, high schoolers enthusiastic about giving back, and middle schoolers eager to be inclusive in school, at recess, and on the field. We are so grateful to the students who chose to rally behind Teton Adaptive and help us fund the purchase and installation of a motor. It may seem like a small project, but as many of these students probably understand, zipping around town on an e-bike is a cultural touchstone in Jackson, and with their support more people of differing abilities will be able to experience it.
Special thanks to The Community Foundation of Jackson Hole, the Community School Youth Philanthropy Club, and Hudson, Clayton, and Pete. You all made this possible!
