Bike & Roll to School Week this past April was a huge success, with 6,000 parents, students and school staff across San Francisco using skateboards, bicycles and rollerskates to get to school in fun and active ways. Hundreds of parents entered our raffle to win an electric family cargo bike or one of our other prizes, and it’s finally time to announce the winners!
GRAND PRIZE WINNER
The grand prize went to Dale Low, an SF Bicycle Coalition member and parent at SF Community School in the Excelsior. He won an EdgeRunner family bike donated by XtraCycle, BionX and The New Wheel Electric Bikes. We thought it would be extra exciting since Dale already bikes to school with his 11-year-old daughter from their Bernal Heights home to the Excelsior. Just imagine being able to share a bike and tackle SF hills with a little bit of extra umph from electric pedal-assist!
Well, the Lows did something even better. Thrilled to share their luck with the community, Dale and his wife, Celeste, donated their grand prize electric bicycle to their kids’ elementary school. SF Community School is now the proud owner of the EdgeRunner!
Just before school let out for the summer, we joined Celeste, students and Principal Houseman of SF Community to present the new bicycle to students and staff. We loved seeing students excited about the new bike, and can’t wait to see it put to use at SF Community!
The Low family won the grand prize in our Bike & Roll to School Week Raffle, but they chose to donate the new electric family bike to their elementary school, SF Community. Here, some of the Low family (right) poses with Principal Houseman (left) to celebrate the school’s new electric family bike.
SECOND AND THIRD PRIZE
Two more lucky San Francisco parents won one month e-bike rentals from Vie Bikes, a new company that leases family and cargo bikes. Congratulations to winners Sharon Yao, a parent at R.L. Stevenson Elementary School, and Mei Gan Lin, a parent at E.R. Taylor Elementary!
MORE BIKE & ROLL TO SCHOOL WINNERS
To encourage middle and high schoolers to take part in Bike & Roll to School Week, Timbuk2 offered 10 messenger bags as raffle prizes. Winning students came from all over San Francisco: two at George Washington High School, two at Marina Middle School, two at Bessie Carmichael Middle School, and one each at Thurgood Marshall High School, Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, San Francisco Christian School and Immaculate Conception Academy Cristo Rey.
Gordon Lau Elementary School won a $250 Sports Basement gift card, and six organizers at individual schools will also receive $50 gift cards.
BIKE & ROLL CHAMPIONS
We also wanted to recognize the “roll models” at various schools who dedicate their time and energy to promoting healthy transportation in their school communities. Organizers at participating schools nominated 58 Bike & Roll to School Champions, including teachers, parent and staff organizers, and biking families. Choosing just three was tough since there are so many inspiring “roll models” in schools across San Francisco, but a special congratulations to these three winners who will receive a complimentary one-year membership to the SF Bicycle Coalition.
- Susan DesBaillets, biking teacher and Safe Routes to School Liaison at Grattan Elementary.
- Bart Kay, biking parent and Bike & Roll to School Week organizer at Commodore Sloat Elementary
- Fernando Che, biking teacher at Cleveland Elementary
An extra special shout-out goes to all 90 organizers of Bike & Roll to School Week events at schools. Thanks to all of you! You made this year’s event the biggest yet, encouraging nearly 6,000 parents, students and school staff to celebrate traveling to school by bike and other active ways. Evidence of the success of Bike & Roll to School Week can be seen by the increased number of families biking in the lanes together all over San Francisco.
Have a great summer, and roll on!
If you’re curious to learn more about the EdgeRunner and other family bikes, stop by our tent at future Sunday Streets events — we always have a few family bikes ready for test rides. You can also check out our Family Biking page and Events Calendar for future Family Biking opportunities.
