CFC Contributes to El Grupo’s Manzo Elementary Bike Club for Three Years Running

The Manzo Bike Club

From learning to ride (even without owning a bike) to adventure bike-packing and summer bike camps, El Grupo’s stated goal is to empower youth through bicycles.

Actually, their goals are as broad as their cycling interests and expertise which includes everything from bike commuting to highly competitive road and mountain bike racing.

Through the timeless appeal of bicycles, El Grupo teaches responsibility, accountability, and leadership skills. They empower kids to set and achieve personal and community goals as well as educate and inspire Tucson’s youth to overcome obstacles in a safe, fun, accessible, and cool way with the ultimate aim of encouraging life-long bike enthusiasts.

What about the local children whose families cannot afford bikes?

El Grupo’s MANZO Bike Club provides the equipment and teaches the necessary skills and knowledge to help kids of all ages navigate their neighborhoods as safely as possible. And they do this for FREE.

The $25,000 that CFC contributed for the 2021-22 school year helped El Grupo hire, train, and empower new staff at the Manzo Elementary school to better meet the needs of nearly 40 youth riders enrolled in Bike Club. This was significant as Manzo’s status as a title-1 school signifies that an overwhelming majority of students are on a free or reduced lunch program. The riders that El Grupo youth and staff mentor are considered to be high-risk youth and the no-tuition program of Bike Club is so valuable to the community. Without CFC’s help, the program could not run as it does.

Last year the money went to purchasing a custom container for bike storage as well as team shirts, bike parts and repair services, after-school supplies for furthering education, tutoring and trips, and much more!

Check out the El Grupo website for a deeper dive into this incredible program.

https://www.elgrupocycling.org/programs/bickeclub/