Those who support TFK through the 2 Mile Challenge could help the organization earn up to $50,000 this year

San Rafael, CA - Trips for Kids (TFK) has earned $25,000 as one of the three bike-focused nonprofits Clif Bar & Company has selected to lead its 2 Mile Challenge, a program that encourages the public to bike instead of drive trips under two miles. The nonprofit team with the most supporters with the most miles traveled will win an additional $25,000.

"The CLIF BAR 2 Mile Challenge really motivates the public get on their bikes to fight climate change by translating their efforts into financial support for their favorite bike advocacy group," says Marilyn Price, Trips for Kids executive director. "This invitation to partner with CLIF BAR is a huge honor because bike advocacy and environmental protection are among Trips for Kids' fundamental goals."

Participants can help Trips for Kids win this additional funding by registering online for the 2 Mile Challenge, joining the Red Team to pedal for Trips for Kids and logging their miles traveled by bike before October 31, 2010.

"Forty percent of urban travel is less than two miles and about ninety percent of those trips are taken by car," says Ryan Mayo, brand experience manager of Clif Bar & Company. "We are thrilled to partner with Trips for Kids for the 2 Mile Challenge because, as an organization empowering youth to bike, it greatly influences the rising generation of bike and car commuters."

Register for the CLIF BAR 2 Mile Challenge to join the Red Team and pedal for Trips for Kids at www.2milechallenge.com. The Gold and Blue Teams will be pedaling for the Alliance for Bicycling & Walking and the Alliance for Climate Education, respectively.

For more information about TFK and to donate to the organization, please visit www.tripsforkids.org or call Marilyn Price at 415.458.2986.

Mountain bike pioneers and Bay Area Community members raise nearly $3,000 for Trips for Kids at the annual Brews, Bike and Bucks party

San Rafael, Calif. - Trips for Kids' annual Brews, Bikes and Bucks fundraiser held Sunday, February 21, attracted more mountain bike pioneers, along with dozens of Bay Area-based mountain bikers, than it has since its inception 12 years ago. The raffle ticket and drink sales along with the silent auction revenue brought in nearly $3,000 to support Trips for Kids' mission to take under-served youth around the world on mountain bike excursions.

Mountain bike superstars in attendance included Gary Fisher, Ned Overend, Juli Furtado, Joe Breeze, Scot Nicol, Otis Guy, Ross Shafer, Jacquie Phelan, Charles Kelly, Sky Yaeger, Steve Potts, Rich Sutton, Michael Kelley and Chris Lang.

"This event is such a great opportunity for the founders of mountain biking and mountain biking enthusiasts to gather and celebrate the sport," said Marilyn Price, Trips for Kids founder and director. "Many of the same people attend every year because the party is such a good time, but I think this year's Brews, Bikes and Bucks event was enormously successful because of the energy of the people there."

The donated raffle and silent auction prizes that helped make the fundraiser successful included a 2009 Jamis Bakar XC dual suspension bike and a 2010 Marin Bikes Alpine Trail 29er. Broken Drum Brewery, the annual venue host, added to the event's success by donating all of the Brews, Bikes and Bucks drink sales to TFK.

"I like donating my place to Trips for Kids because it is such a great locally based organization that gets kids out of the concrete jungle into nature," said Noah Berry, Broken Drum owner. "With Marilyn at the helm and all the great people, I can't imagine a better group to donate time and effort to."

To make a donation to Trips for Kids, please contact Marilyn Price at info@tripsforkids.org or 415.458.2986. More information about the organization can be found at www.tripsforkids.org.

Photo: Jon Suzuki

San Rafael, CA - Trips for Kids (TFK) proudly announces its annual "Brews, Bikes and Bucks" raffle event will take place Sunday, February 21, 2010 at the Broken Drum Brewery in San Rafael, Calif. from 2 pm to 6 pm.

Now in its twelfth year, this fundraising event has become an annual gathering of local mountain bike legends and a much anticipated tradition in Marin County. The local mountain biking legends likely to attend include Gary Fisher, Tom Ritchey, Joe Breeze, Ned Overend, Scott Nicol and Otis Guy.

Admission to the event is free and attendees are encouraged to arrive early to get their seating and food before the raffle begins. Bike-related prizes will be raffled throughout the afternoon, including the grand prize 2009 Jamis Dakar XC dual suspension mountain bike (retail value $1,025) donated by Jamis Bicycles. The silent auction will include items such as a 2010 Marin Bikes Alpine Trail 29er mountain bike (retail value $785).

The prize bikes are on display at the Broken Drum Brewery at 1132 Fourth Street in San Rafael, 415.456.4677, where advance raffle tickets are on sale. All proceeds from the event's food and drink sales will benefit Trips for Kids, thanks to the generosity of Broken Drum Owner, Noah Berry.

Advance raffle tickets are also available at the Trips for Kids' Re-Cyclery Thrift Shop located at 610 Fourth Street, San Rafael, Calif., open Tuesday through Friday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Attendees can purchase tickets at event. Ticket holders do not need to be present to win.

For more information about the Brews, Bikes and Bucks event and Trips for Kids, please visit the Trips for Kids website, or call Marilyn Price at 415.458.2986.

Whether investing in a social bike program or providing a two-year capacity-building grant to Trips for Kids, which will go into supporting outreach to new and existing chapters, the New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort Collins, CO continues its support of the bicycling culture.  Then again, what would you expect from a company that has a bicycle in its logo.

San Rafael, CA - Trips for Kids (TFK) announced today that it has been selected to receive a $30,000, two-year capacity-building grant from New Belgium Brewing Company. The funds will allow TFK to provide more support to its chapters striving to get more low-income, at-risk children on mountain bike rides.

"This grant will help the national Trips for Kids organization continue outreach to its regional chapters and to potential chapters," said founding director Marilyn Price. "Both Trips for Kids and New Belgium Brewing Company share a love of mountain biking, and with New Belgium Brewing Company's help we can instill this love in more children."

With its grant from New Belgium Brewing Company, TFK will continue forming and strengthening partnerships with other national groups and developing strategic marketing and public relations plans that will help generate sponsorship and funding for regional chapters.

"New Belgium Brewing Company values the Trips for Kids mission and we want to see its programs expand, " said Kari Fletcher, New Belgium Brewing Company spokesperson. "Trips for Kids opens up the world of cycling to at-risk youth, and we are proud to be part of that endeavor."

More than 65,000 disadvantaged young people have participated in TFK's day-long cycling adventures that take them through nearby parks and outdoor recreation areas. In addition to vigorous outdoor activity, they also enjoy the encouragement of caring adults who teach them about the environment, the importance of healthy choices and satisfaction of accomplishing their goals.

Trips for Kids national organization will kick off this year's fundraising efforts in February at its 12th Annual Brews, Bikes and Bucks fundraising event Sunday, February 21, 2010, at the Broken Drum Brewery in San Rafael, Calif., from 2-6 p.m, with mountain bike pioneers among the guests, great raffle prizes and delicious refreshments.

For more information on Trips for Kids, please visit the TFK website or call Marilyn Price at 415.458.2986.

Trips for Kids works with Ladysmith-Hawkins School District to help establish a mountain bike riding program to benefit local children in the district

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. - Trips for Kids (TFK), a non-profit organization that uses mountain biking trips to promote self-confidence and environmental awareness among disadvantaged youth, today announced the establishment of its 68th chapter in Ladysmith, Wisconsin in conjunction with the Ladysmith-Hawkins School District. The Trips for Kids Ladysmith Chapter will serve the district's disadvantaged youth.

"Working directly with a school district enables a chapter to connect immediately with kids who can benefit from the program. It also instantly establishes Trips for Kids as a community-based youth development resource," says Marilyn Price, TFK founder and director.

Price continued, "Since bicycles and kids are a natural match, young people can be more open to learning when bikes are involved. An ultimate goal would be to integrate bicycling into the physical education departments of schools throughout the country."

The TFK chapters in Trinidad, Calif. and Pueblo Pintado, N.M. are also associated with their local school district and TFK Triangle in Durham, N.C. regularly works with its local middle schools. The TFK chapter-school relationships allow students multiple opportunities to participate in the TFK rides and reinforce their relationship with the organization.

The TFK chapters formed in conjunction with a school have found that it is easier to reach some students on the trail than it is in the classroom. Students at schools affiliated with TFK have improved behavior, attendance and relationships with their teachers.

Matt Bunton, president of the Ladysmith TFK chapter, said, "The effort to involve the students in Trips for Kids will ultimately increase their ownership of their school and further their academic and social development. As they participate in this program, the students will learn how to successfully conquer challenges on the trail and in other areas of their life."

More than 50,000 disadvantaged young people have participated in TFK's day-long cycling adventures that take them through nearby parks and outdoor recreation areas. In addition to vigorous outdoor activity, they also enjoy the encouragement of caring adults who teach them about the environment, the importance of healthy choices and satisfaction of accomplishing their goals.

Increased Environmental Awareness from Salesforce.com Employees Benefits Trips for Kids and Underserved Youth in San Francisco

SAN RAFAEL, CA - After months of riding their bikes to work as part of an employee-led initiative to help reduce their carbon footprint, salesforce.com employees raised $10,000 and chose Trips for Kids (TFK) as their charity of choice.

On July 11, 2008, a group of dedicated salesforce.com employees joined young people from Kung Fu Grocery - an inner-city, low income martial arts school, TFK volunteers, staff and Board members for a ride through the Tennessee Valley area of the Golden Gate Recreation Area to present the generous check. The group absorbed the fanfare and views, as well as showed their appreciation for TFK being selected as the program's charity beneficiary.

"At a time when fuel costs are soaring, biking to work is an environmentally friendly, cost effective and health promoting activity," said Marilyn Price, founding director of TFK. "Trips for Kids is thrilled to be the chosen recipient. This money will be used to take underserved youth on mountain bikes rides."

Salesforce.com, one of the Bay Area's leading high-tech firms specializing in Software-as-a-Service, found a way to benefit youth, boost employee fitness and make an environmental impact. Forty employees worldwide participated in the community initiative. Utilizing salesforce.com technology to log the miles employees rode, the Salesforce.com Foundation contributed one dollar for each mile. Salesforce.com has been a long-time supporter of Trips for Kids.

"I joined salesforce.com not just because of the company and its products, but also because of the Salesforce.com Foundation's relationship with the community," said Perry David Tennyson, a salesforce.com employee. "Growing up in San Francisco and being a cyclist made this the perfect opportunity for me to participate in. That salesforce.com gave one dollar to a non profit for every mile I rode to work each day made me extremely proud."

Trips for Kids is a 20-year-old national non-profit based in San Rafael, California. Its programs give underserved youth a chance to experience the joy and challenge of mountain biking, while learning valuable life skills and an appreciation for the outdoors. There are currently 64 Trips for Kids chapters across the United Stated and Canada.

For more information on Trips for Kids, please visit www.tripsforkids.org or call founding Director Marilyn Price at (415) 458-2986.

TFK partners with IMBA to host a full-day conference for TFK chapter leaders and interested attendees prior to the IMBA World Summit

TFK's Bicycle Thrift Shop booth sold merchandise to and formed new partnerships with Sea Otter attendees and participants

San Rafael, Calif. - While attending this year's Sea Otter Marketplace Expo in Monterey, California, Trips for Kids (TFK) made a profit selling surplus merchandise from the Re-Cyclery Bike Thrift Shop and met up with the bicycle industry to raise awareness of TFK programs.

"Because Sea Otter attracts a lot of racers, families and out-of-town visitors, it's a wonderful opportunity to shine the spotlight on our local programs and our national expansion," said Marilyn Price, founder and director of Trips for Kids. "I talked to several attendees who are interested in starting a TFK chapter!"

With generous product and monetary donations from bicycle manufacturers and organization supporters, the fourth year of attendance for Trips for Kid at the Sea Otter Marketplace Expo netted substantial proceeds. These funds directly support TFK programs which include daylong mountain biking adventures, Earn-a-Bike programs and 63 chapters across North America.

TFK's attendance at the Sea Otter Expo also resulted in new partnerships for the organization. A professional photographer dropped by the booth and agreed to shoot photos for TFK on a pro bono basis. In addition, the authors of Adventures of the Great Chiweenie drew huge crowds to the TFK booth with an adorable canine companion. They generously offered to donate a percentage of their book's proceeds to TFK.

The Trips for Kids Re-Cyclery Bike Thrift Shop is located at 610 Fourth Street, San Rafael, Calif. The shop is open every Tuesday through Friday, 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information about Trips for Kids, please visit www.tripsforkids.org or call Marilyn Price at (415) 458-2986.

TFK's Bicycle Thrift Shop booth to sell donated bicycle parts, clothing and accessories to Sea Otter attendees and participants

San Rafael, Calif. - April 11, 2008 -Trips for Kids (TFK) proudly announces its attendance at this year's Sea Otter Marketplace Expo selling new and used donated merchandise from its Re-Cyclery Bike Thrift Shop. Its affordable bike parts, clothing, and accessories will be available at booth #138 on Friday, April 18 through Sunday, April 20 at the Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, Calif.

"We invite all of our friends and supporters to come and shop with us at the Expo. You'll find a wide selection of new and used clothing, parts and accessories that have been donated from manufacturers and cyclists," said Marilyn Price, founder and director of Trips for Kids. "Prices will be low, including $5 bins and 2 for 1 deals. Be ready to stock up for yourself and don't forget gifts for friends. By shopping with us, you not only get a bargain for yourself but you help the kids too!"

This year marks the fourth year of attendance for Trips for Kid at Sea Otter Marketplace Expo. Every year, this venue typically generates over $4,000 in proceeds to support TFK programs. All proceeds from the sale go to benefit Trips for Kids programs which include daylong mountain biking adventures, Earn-a-Bike programs and support for its 60 chapters across North America.

This sale and others like it are made possible through generous product and monetary donations from bicycle manufacturers and organization supporters.

In addition to buying cycling parts and products at the Sea Otter Marketing Place Expo, interested individuals are invited to visit the Trips for Kids Re-Cyclery Bike Thrift Shop, located at 610 Fourth Street, San Rafael, Calif. The shop is open every Tuesday through Friday, 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information about Trips for Kids, please visit www.tripsforkids.org or call Marilyn Price at (415) 458-2986.

Local mountain bike legends and Marin Community members gather to celebrate Trips for Kids and raise $3,000

San Rafael, Calif. - Feb. 19, 2008 - Mountain bike legends gathered to salute Trips for Kids (TFK) at the 10th Annual Brews, Bikes and Bucks fundraiser. Among those present at the Feb. 10 event were greats Gary Fisher, Joe Breeze, Charles Kelly, Mert Lawwill, Jacquie Phelan, Ross Shafer, Michael Kelley and Chris Lang.

The annual fundraiser, held at the Broken Drum Brewery & Wood Grill in San Rafael, Calif., raised close to $3,000 for the program. The money raised is used to fund mountain biking adventures for at risk kids.

"Each year, Broken Drum owner Noah Berry not only opens his doors for the cause, but donates proceeds from the food and drink sales," said Marilyn Price, founder of Trips for Kids. "We are so fortunate and grateful for Noah's continued generosity. This would not be possible without him."

Outside the Broken Drum, admirers gawked at the rows of tricked-out mountain bikes lining the sidewalk; inside, pints in hand, the owners of these bikes tell tall tales of traveling on two wheels. TFK supporters had the opportunity to meet and socialize with the pioneers of the mountain bike industry, but the loot inside the bar was also a draw.

Impressive bikes and accessories generously donated by the bike industry were raffled throughout the afternoon. The most sought-after prize was a 2007 Jamis Dragon Comp mountain bike. A silent auction was also held for a Muirwoods 29er mountain bike donated by Marin Bikes.

For more than twenty years, Trips for Kids has given over 37,000 at-risk youth an opportunity to explore the outdoors on a mountain bike. With the guidance of Founding Director and Mountain Bike Hall of Famer, Marilyn Price, these rides give disadvantaged youth a chance to experience the challenge and joy of mountain biking. There are now fifty eight Trips for Kids coast to coast in the United States and Canada, with more on the way.

For more information about Trips for Kids visit http://www.tripsforkids.org or call (415) 458-2986. The Trips for Kids Re-Cyclery Bike Thrift Shop is located at 610 Fourth Street, San Rafael, Calif. The shop is open every Tuesday through Friday, 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

About Trips for Kids
Trips for Kids is a national 501(c)3 nonprofit based in San Rafael, California. Trips for Kids started in 1988 as a grass roots effort by avid mountain biker, environmentalist, and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame inductee, Marilyn Price. Its programs give underserved youth a chance to experience the joy and challenge of mountain biking, while learning valuable life skills and an appreciation for the outdoors. There are currently 57 Trips for Kids chapters across the United Stated and Canada, with more on the way.