In early February, more than 70 volunteers joined the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition for our annual Winter Volunteer Appreciation party. The event, which celebrates everyone who has volunteered with us in the past six months, was hosted graciously by Dolan Law Firm and featured a fun-filled evening of games, drinks and camaraderie!
We are incredibly grateful for the nearly 900 volunteers who collectively gave over 9,000 hours of their time last year to help make San Francisco a better city for biking and living. A big thanks to our five award winners who went above and beyond in supporting our work last year. They were recognized during this special night:
Community Repair Night: Jordon Bluestein
Jordon is a bike mechanic extraordinaire and a regular fixture at our Community Repair Nights. Jordon joined the SF Bicycle Coalition in summer 2016 and has since completed a total of 66 hours of volunteering; 40 of those hours were completed in 2018 alone! Jordon has been instrumental in helping to ensure that the reclaimed bicycles we distribute to communities across San Francisco are safe and in good working order. We’re grateful to Jordon for all of his dedication and hard work.
Most Active Valet: Alex Heeger
With over 28 hours dedicated to volunteering with our Valet Bicycle Parking program, Alex Heeger spent more than double the amount of time parking bikes than our runner-up in this category in 2018 alone. No stranger to volunteering, this is the third volunteer award Alex has received from the SF Bicycle Coalition. We were so impressed by Alex’s enthusiasm and work ethic that our former Program Coordinator, Miles Stepto, used to joke about hiring Alex full-time! We are humbled by Alex’s commitment to our organization and his dedication to keeping our bikes secure wherever we choose to ride.
Advocacy All-Star: Taylor Ahlgren
In addition to being a trained Bicycle Ambassador, Taylor Ahlgren has been an astounding voice of support for better biking in San Francisco and has given much of his time to improve the safety of our streets. Taylor championed street improvements on Howard Street at a high-injury corridor intersection, leading to a swift turnaround for protected bike lanes. He also built awareness and community around the loss of Russell Franklin, who died on Howard, including organizing a ghost bike vigil ceremony in his memory. We’re incredibly proud of Taylor, who is a constant presence at City Hall, pushing for transportation justice-focused policies.
Most Active Ambassador: Hans Huang
Coming up on his second year as an SF Bicycle Coalition volunteer, Hans has been a huge supporter of our Bicycle Ambassador program and has shown tremendous passion for our work and mission. After becoming a trained Bicycle Ambassador in September 2017, Hans joined us at 10 outreach events last year and clocked in a total of 27 hours of outreach — including Light Up the Night, Sunday Streets and Bike to Work Day! Big shoutout to Hans and all of our Bicycle Ambassadors for helping to spread the word about our work.
Rookie of The Year: Ava Lazor
Ava began her involvement with the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition as a Barter Member, in which she dedicated 10 hours of her time to volunteering in exchange for a membership. Ava has quickly become one of our leading go-to volunteers and has always been willing to pitch in and help whenever needed. Despite having recently relocated to Redwood City, Ava has still been able to dedicate her time to our organization. She has helped out at numerous events including Phone Bank, Light up the Night, Valet Bicycle Parking, and much more — elevating her commitment to the organization far beyond the ranks of a traditional rookie.
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition holds Volunteer Appreciation Parties twice per year, and everyone who has volunteered in the previous six months is invited to attend. That’s just one of the many great reasons to join us as a volunteer. Check out our upcoming volunteer opportunities and sign up today!
