Allina Health and Free Bikes 4 Kidz MN
Allina Health hosts annual community bike collection event
As a health care organization, we recognize good health habits start early, which is why each year we partner with Free Bikes 4 Kidz MN, a non-profit organization geared toward helping all kids ride into a healthier, happier childhood by providing bikes to those in need.
For more than a decade Allina Health and Free Bikes 4 Kidz MN have partnered to help kids live a healthy, active life by collecting, refurbishing and giving bikes to kids in our communities. Visit FB4KMN.org to volunteer and get involved with helping kids get active.
Donate your bike
Allina Health is proud to partner with Free Bikes 4 Kidz MN to host a community bike collection event on:
Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022
from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Consider donating a gently used or new bike and ask family and friends if they have one they'd like to donate.
Download the Free Bikes 4 Kidz flyer and post at your location.
2022 bike collection sites
Hospitals
- Abbott Northwestern – WestHealth, Plymouth
- Allina Health Faribault Medical Center/Allina Health Faribault Clinic
- Allina Health United Hospital – Hastings Regina Campus / Allina Health Hastings Nininger Road Specialty Clinic
- Buffalo Hospital
- Cambridge Medical Center
- New Ulm Medical Center
- Owatonna Hospital
- River Falls Area Hospital / Allina Health River Fall Clinic, Wisconsin
- St. Francis Regional Medical Center, Shakopee
Clinics
- Allina Health Annandale Clinic
- Allina Health Apple Valley Clinic
- Allina Health Blaine Clinic
- Allina Health Centennial Lakes Clinic (Edina)
- Allina Health Champlin Clinic
- Allina Health Coon Rapids Clinic
- Allina Health Eagan Clinic
- Allina Health Highland Park Clinic
- Allina Health Isles Clinic (Minneapolis)
- Allina Health Lakeville Clinic
- Allina Health Maple Grove Clinic
- Allina Health Northfield Clinic
- Allina Health Richfield Clinic
- Allina Health Shoreview Clinic
- Allina Health St. Michael Clinic
- Allina Health Woodbury Clinic
Other
An Allina Health employee helps fit a child with a new bike helmet.
Free Bikes 4 Kidz video
Between 5,000 and 7,000 bikes are collected and distributed to families every year. Watch our video below to learn more.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Traditionally when you think of health care organizations, you think of caring for the sick or the injured. And part of our philosophy is, how can we connect with others to make ourselves healthy? Free Bikes for Kids has been partnering for us. Today, what you see is our bike giveaway, and hopefully get bikes in the hands of kids that normally wouldn't have them.
The coolest thing about this event is the synergy between all the different organizations. So we have the school district, we have Hayes Elementary, we've got Allina, we've got Free Bikes for Kids all coming together working to make this day happen, and it's awesome.
Every child gets a new helmet. And then they would have a guy that would walk them through each bike, decide which bike is appropriate for them. Then they will come back over to our mechanic station one last time, go through the bike, make sure it's safe. And then we go over here to rules of the road, where they learn stop sign, turning signals, and then outside to test the bike in the front parking lot.
We are the Purnell family. We raised six sons. And now, we are foster parents, and we have seven. It was always just important to my husband that our kids had bikes as they grew up, because it was just something that he didn't have as a child.
We heard about the free by giveaway down at the Hayes school. They looked, jaw dropping, eyes popping. They were like, can I go get one? I said, no, you got to wait in line. You got to be fitted. You got to be tested, fitted, and know the rules of the road.
A lot of our kids can't afford to go to the store and buy a new bike. They just can't. When partnerships come along that provide these resources for them, they take advantage of them. We've got a line all the way out to the boulevard right now, which is a hundred yards.
If it wasn't for Free Bikes for Kids, we would have to figure out some way to come up with money to buy bikes for seven kids, and they're not cheap.
These bikes have helped the family because it gives the kids more exercise. Our kids even ride bikes to the YMCA.
But I like they ride their bikes to work.
The more active kids are, the better shape they're in, the better, actually, they do with their math and other scores. And that's what this event is all about is promoting exercise and activity for children.
Allina, thank you. Thank you. I've rode bikes before. But to ride with my children's priceless.