Trips for Kids - Annapolis Valley

Raffle Winner

2011-11-08T17:07:00.003-04:00

I would like to begin by thanking everyone who has supported Trips For Kids Annapolis Valley this past year. We would not be where we are today without those who support us.

Congratulations goes out to Sue Barkhouse, winner of the Trips for Kids art draw. Sue Barkhouse has won one of Angela Melanson's beautiful paintings "Slow Rider".

Next year we hope to make Trips for Kids Annapolis Valley bigger and better. More events. More participants. Bigger sponsorship. More rides.

Stay Tuned!

AVMBA Fall Festival

2011-10-19T13:31:00.004-03:00

The Annapolis Valley Mountain Bike Association's second annual Fall Festival Fundraiser is quickly approaching. The Fall Festival is a full weekend of mountain biking activities with all proceeds go directly back into improving and expanding the trails here in the Valley.

October 29th

Saturdays events will take place at the Kentville Participark AKA "The Gorge". The morning will consist of a trail building clinic, focusing on wooden features followed by an intermediate group ride of the local trails. Saturdays events are all free with donations being gladly accepted!

See www.avmba.com for more details!

October 30th

Sunday's events will take place at the Woodville Community Hiking Trails AKA "The Links". Activities include a 4-hour endurance race, a 2-Hour Youth endurance race, and a guided hiking tour of the trails. Trips for Kids bikes and helmets will be available onsite for people to use. There is a $25 registration fee for the 4- hour enduro and $10 for the 2-hour youth enduro. The guided hiking tour is free! The Trips for Kids art piece by Angela Melanson will be raffled off as the grande finale of the Fall Festival. Tickets for the raffle will be available on site $2 each or 3 for $5.

See www.avmba.com for more details!

Trips for Kids Fundraising

2011-08-18T12:11:00.003-03:00

We are currently fundraising for the Trips for Kids Annapolis Valley Chapter. We are raffling off a beautiful painting done by Angela Melanson. It is 24” x 24” acrylic, pastel and pencil on wood panel valued of $450.

Tickets are $2 each or 3/$5, and can be bought at the Wolfville Recreation Centre or every Wednesday evening at the Wolfville Farmers Market.

In addition to our raffle we are selling blank greeting cards with prints of Angela’s pieces on the cover. These gorgeous cards are $5 each and can be purchased at the Wolfville Recreation Centre as well.

All money raised will go towards keeping the Trips for Kids program going and help with the maintenance costs of the bicycles.

Fall Inservice Biking Trip

2011-07-04T09:42:00.002-03:00

MOUNTAIN BIKING: WOODVILLE TRAILS

Friday, September 30, 2011

8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Drop-off & Pick-up: Wolfville Elementary Entrance

Grades: 2 - 6

Cost: $40.00

Hit the trails with us as we travel to Woodville for an exciting mountain biking experience! With over 10 km in trails we will be sure to check out our natural surroundings such as Cabin, waterfull, and look off. Want to cycle with us but you don’t have a bike? No problem!

Call Michelle at the Wolfville Recreation Centre to learn how you can borrow one of ours. 542 3019

Bike Club Trip to the Links Trails

2011-07-04T09:23:00.006-03:00

On Thursday June 23rd the Wolfville Afterschool Bike Club rode the trails at the Links (AKA the Woodville Hiking Trails). We transported our bicycles in the Trips for Kids Trailer and thanks to many generous parents were able to carpool all participants to and from the trails. Everyone had a blast, even when covered in mud!

Look for the afterschool Trips for Kids bike club again this fall. It is scheduled to run every Thursday afternoon at 3:30pm at the Wolfville Recreation Centre.

See you all in September for more biking fun!

The Bike Clubs Year End Trip

2011-06-11T20:25:00.002-03:00

For the last week of the afterschool bike club we are planning a special trip. We plan to go for a ride on the evening of June 23^rd at the Woodville Hiking Trails AKA The Links.

All bicycles will be transported to and from the trails in the Town of Wolfville trailer. We will be leaving the Wolfville Recreation Centre at 3:30pm and returning at 6:30pm.

The Woodville Hiking Trails is a unique trail network that will be fun and exciting for all participants. The trails are located just outside of the town of Woodville on top of the North Mountain. See link for more details: http://www.annapolis-valley-vacation.com/woodville-hiking-trails.html

We are currently looking for parent volunteers who would be willing to transport participants to and from the trails. It is about a 35min drive and we need to transport 12 participants in total.

If you are willing to carpool participants or would like to come for the ride please let me know as soon as possible.

If you have any further question please contact Michelle at: 542 3019

Hope to hear from you soon!

Mountain Bike Race

2011-05-25T10:50:00.003-03:00

I would like to encourage all bike club participants to come out to the Links (Woodville Hiking Trails) on Sunday (May 29th) and race in the special 2 Hour Short Track Endurance Challenge (Ages 6-14) hosted by the Annapolis Valley Mountain Bike Association.

It will be a wicked fun day; mass start, no categories, and no timing. The rider with the most laps wins.

Registration starts at 8:00am

Adult 4 Hour Race starts at 9:00 am, final lap starts at 12:59pm

Kids 2 Hour Race starts at 9:30 am, final lap starts at 11:30 am

Prizes and draws at 2:00pm

Race Registration:

$20 for 2011 AVMBA Members

$25 for non-members

Get a 2011 AVMBA membership and race registration for $40

$10 kids 6-14

This is being hosted in conjunction with the Woodville Community Centre’s 40th Annual Chicken BBQ. Racers and spectators can get a big post-race meal at the bottom of the hill for $10.00 per plate. Live entertainment on site with a bounce house for the kids. A fun day in a great little community.

This is a fundraiser and Membership Drive, so show up and support your local MTB club!

The Valley chapter of the Trips for Kids program will be on site with leaders and bikes for kids who want to try out mountain biking.

Road maps and trails maps to find and ride at the Links (better known as the Woodville Hiking Trails) are available on our website at www.avmba.com

For more info, please send an email to Michelle at m.marcinkiewicz@hotmail.com or phone 902 542 3019

Week 3 at the Bike Club

2011-05-20T10:15:00.004-03:00

The sun was out and shinning high in the sky this past Thursday; it was a nice change from the rainy days we had been having. Water and sunscreen was a necessity! We started our ride by climbing the big hill on Orchard Avenue. We next made our way across Pleasant St. and continued our way across Skyway Drive. Everyone enjoyed riding down Kent Avenue. It was a nice break from riding uphill. We next crossed onto Cherry Lane and made our way along the crushed gravel pathway, following the train tracks back to the recreation centre. Next Thursday we will try and do more mountain bike trails if the trails dry out in time.

Before starting our climb up the big hill!

A group shot on a nice day!

The Bike Trailor Has Arrived!

2011-05-17T13:59:00.003-03:00

Trips for Kids Annapolis Valley is proud to announce that we have received our new trailer. We would like to gratefully thank the Department of Health of Wellness and the Town of Wolfville for providing the funding that made this purchase possible. This trailer will allow the Trips for Kids Annapolis Valley program to travel with bicycles, enabling us to travel to different trail networks.

The Annapolis Valley Cycling Coordinator, Michelle Marcinkiewicz poses in front of the trailer excited to put it to good use!

Bike Club Week 2

2011-05-16T11:07:00.011-03:00

This week at the afterschool bike club we worked on specific cycling skills. Instead of heading off on a ride, we rode down to the parking lot beside the skatepark where there was lots of room to set out some pylons and work on some particular skills. Skills that we focused on were our turning, braking, and shifting techniques. We hope that the skills we practiced will be put into use during the next couple weeks of the bike club.

After working on our cycling skills while waiting for parents to pick-up we attempted at hoolahoop bicycle tires. It was very tricky... but lots of fun!

New Partnership with PlanetExplore

2011-05-09T14:04:00.002-03:00

TFK-Annapolis Valley is proud to announce that we have partnered with PlanetExplore, an online group that aims to get individuals and families learning and participating in events and outdoor activities in their community. PlanetExplore is enabled by The North Face who's goal is to "inspire the next generation of enthusiasts and increase outdoor participation among people of all ages." PlanetExplore’s resources will be helpful in continuing to expand our chapter. We look forward to putting PlanetExplore’s resources to use.

More info about PlanetExplore can be found at:
http://www.planetexplore.com/

Afterschool Bike Club Launches in Wolfville

2011-05-06T14:40:00.003-03:00

The first session of the afterschool bike club for boys and girls happened this past Thursday at the Wolfville Recreation Center. The bike club as part of the Trips For Kids Annapolis Valley combines lessons in confidence building, achievement and environmental awareness through the development of practical cycling skills, and the simple act of having fun.

It was a very successful first day complete with a ride to Reservoir Park. All participants had fun, even in the wet weather. The bike club will focus on cycling skills next session so that those skills can be applied in the future weeks to come.

Trips for Kids Annapolis Valley and Wolfville Recreation is proud to announce that the Club is now at full capacity for the rest of the spring sessions. The free program is run out of the Wolfville Recreation Center every Thursday from 3:30-4:30pm until June 23^rd.

Trips for Kids National Recognizes Companies That Recommit for 2011

2011-02-10T18:56:00.001-04:00

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. - February 9, 2011- As Trips for Kids National (TFK) gears up for another growth-filled year, the organization wishes to recognize the bike industry leaders that have re-committed to the nonprofit organization in 2011.

This year's supporters include:
Adventure Medical Kits - The world leader in developing innovative first aid and outdoor survival products that help people enjoy safe outdoor adventures;
Clif Bar - Leading maker of all-natural and organic foods and drinks, including the organic certified CLIF® BAR energy bar, delivering Nutrition for Sustained Energy®, and LUNA®, The Whole Nutrition Bar for Women®;
Park Tools - The #1 brand of bicycle tools in the world;
Planet Bike - Designer of high quality bicycle accessories that make it easier and safer for people to ride their bikes; and
Trek - A global leader in the design and manufacture of bicycles and related products, Trek believes the bicycle can be a simple solution to many of the world's most complex problems, and is committed to breaking down the barriers that prevent people from using bicycles more often.

Each of these company's monetary contributions go towards providing support to existing chapters and purchasing needed items for new chapter Start Up Kits.

"The bikes, tools and other essentials that TFK Start Up Kits provide give our 70 chapters the opportunity to take a dream and make it into an operating chapter," said Marilyn Price, Trips for Kids founder. "The enthusiasm and confidence the much needed resources bring our local chapters takes me back to emotions I felt when I received the first donation of bikes for the Marin chapter more than 24 years ago."

Since its inception in 1988, more than 75,000 youth have had an opportunity to participate in a TFK youth programs in chapters spread as far as Northern California to New England. Each of the nonprofit's 70 chapters is designed to meet the needs of the individual community, offering lessons in confidence building, achievement and environmental awareness.

About Trips for Kids
Trips for Kids (www.tripsforkids.org) is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization based in Marin County, California. With 70 chapters operating in the United States, Canada and Israel, Trips for Kids opens the world of cycling to at-risk youth through mountain bike rides and Earn-a-Bike programs. TFK rides are the "vehicle" through which the kids gain confidence, skills, and an appreciation for nature. TFK's after-school Earn-a-Bike and job training programs teach kids how to build and repair bikes, while they learn the values of responsibility, patience, and hard work.

Trips for Kids at Fall Fest

2011-01-17T17:23:00.006-04:00

On October, 24 2010, the Annapolis Valley Trips for Kids Chapter participated in Fall Fest at the Links. Fall Fest was a fundraiser for trail construction and maintenance for the trails on Burgess Mountain, just north of Woodville. The event was organized by The Annapolis Valley Mountain Bike Association (AVMBA) and was a huge success with a major turn out logging 130 volunteer hours and raising over $500 for future trail work at the Links. Based on Fall Fests success in October, it looks like it will become an annual event hosted by The AVMBA. Kids enjoyed guided group rides, and a wonderful BBQ. Trips for Kids looks forward to participating again the years to come.

The following article was published in The Advertiser, by John DeCoste.

CST to Keep the Tires on Trips for Kids and Offer More Rides to At-risk Youth

2011-01-17T15:30:00.002-04:00

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. - January 10, 2011 - Trips for Kids, the national organization that inspires youth outdoors on mountain bikes, inked a sponsorship agreement with CST for 2011. The company's contribution of $7,500 provides essential support to 70 Trips for Kids chapters across North America.

"We are truly looking forward to continuing our partnership with Trips for Kids in 2011. Their organization is essential to the future of our cycling community," says Jennifer Biggers, assistant manager of the Specialty Division at CST-USA.

"We are very enthusiastic about the partnership between CST and Trips for Kids. It makes it possible for us to reach out to the biking community and expand our programs," says Eric Goldman, executive director of North America at Trips for Kids.

CST increased its support of Trips for Kids last year after continued support of the organization since 2001. "During these difficult economic times, it's companies like CST that enable us to continue making a difference in the lives of at-risk youth," says Founder Marilyn Price.

About CST
Offering high-value, high-quality tires for bicycles, ATVs and motorcycles, CST has operations in Canada, China, Dubai, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States and Viet Nam. In North America, CST is headquartered in Suwanee, Georgia.

About Trips for Kids
Trips for Kids (www.tripsforkids.org) is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization based in Marin County, California. With 70 chapters operating in the United States, Canada and Israel, Trips for Kids opens the world of cycling to at-risk youth through mountain bike rides and Earn-a-Bike programs. TFK rides are the "vehicle" through which the kids gain confidence, skills, and an appreciation for nature. TFK's after-school Earn-a-Bike and job training programs teach kids how to build and repair bikes, while they learn the values of responsibility, patience, and hard work.

Trips for Kids Ride Sunday October 24th @ 11 am

2010-10-20T22:18:00.002-03:00

On Sunday October the 24th, as part of the Annapolis Valley Mountain Bike Association's Fall Fest at the Links Trail Day, Trips for Kids will be doing a group ride for Youth from 11 am - 12 pm on the Woodville multi use Trail system. Please check out the full event lineup at www.avmba.com for more details.

Trips for Kids is an international organization that helps kids discover the empowering world of mountain biking through rides guided by experienced cyclists. The Annapolis Valley chapter is one of two Trips for Kids organizations in Nova Scotia. If you’d like more information on the Annapolis Valley’s Trips for Kids Organization contact Shannon Read @ 902.542.3019.

Annapolis Valley Trips for Kids website: www.annapolisvalleytripsforkids.blogspot.com

Trips for Kids main site: www.tripsforkids.org

Annapolis Valley Mountain Bike Association: www.avmba.com

Trips for Kids Ride Saturday October 2nd @ 10 am

2010-09-24T08:55:00.001-03:00

Saturday October the 2^nd is the International Mountain Bike Association’s (IMBA) Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day. The Town of Wolfville and the Annapolis Valley Mountain Bike Association (AVMBA) invite you to join us in celebrating with our official launch of the Valley’s Trips for Kids program.

Trips for Kids is an international organization that helps kids at risk discover the empowering world of mountain biking through rides guided by experienced cyclists. The Annapolis Valley chapter is one of two Trips for Kids organizations in Nova Scotia.

We are celebrating this new program with a family ride suitable for all ages, fitness levels and abilities. Our trip will begin at 10 am, leaving from Waterfront Park on Front Street in Wolfville. The hour-long ride will feature cycling-related trivia stops along the way, ending at Noggins Farm. Participants are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch to enjoy at the farm, and to enjoy free activities, including the Corn Maze, Wagon Rides and the Barnyard Animal Farm. Everyone is welcome to come join the fun and learn about Trips for Kids.

If you’d like more information on the Annapolis Valley’s Trips for Kids Launch contact Shannon Read @ 902.542.3019.

Annapolis Valley Trips for Kids website: http://annapolisvalleytripsforkids.blogspot.com

Trips for Kids main site: http://www.tripsforkids.org

More information about IMBA’s Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day can be found at http://www.IMBA.com

Welcome to the newest Trips for Kids Chapter

2010-07-03T13:25:00.000-03:00

AVMBA have teamed up with the Town of Wolfville to provide this great opportunity for youth aged 10-17 to get out and enjoy the outdooors on a mountain bike. More details are soon to follow but we hope to have the new Trek Bikes in by Mid July with the first organized group ride to take place soon after. We are currently looking for volunteer ride leaders so if you are interested please contact Shannon Read - Active Living Coordinator for the Town of Wolfville at 902-542-3019.