We caught up with Dana, the founder of KRD Foundation, who is this year’s “Kids’ Champion” for the Kids Holiday Bike Giveaway. The Kid’s Champion is a person or organization that exceeds expectations in a few key areas: They have financially supported the program for 10+ years (Wow!), play a major role in voicing bike advocacy locally, and they continue to prioritize kids’ bike access 365 days/year through the ongoing foundation work across many groups and geographies. To put it simply, kids’ bikes are in their DNA.
We spent some time digging into why kids’ bikes are so important to Dana and the foundation. Enjoy!
Hey Dana, we are so grateful to have you and the KRD Foundation back in 2022 as major contributors to the program!
The passion behind KRD, tell us about that. And why is it important to get more kids on bikes?
Supporting the community you live and work in is critical to supporting access to resources, and in our case, access to affordable bikes. How does this fit in with KRD’s culture and long-term vision?
Affordable bikes can make all the difference. We champion this cause because when we get more kids on bikes, we know a few things are likely to happen. It leads to a healthier kid – they exercise which leads to greater cardiovascular and muscular health. There’s almost an immediate impact on their emotional well-being and they are ultimately less stressed, which equals more smiles. Equally as important, having a bike leads to improved social skills and eases the ability to make friends, communicate within a social group, voice opinions, and start to form bonds. In short, bikes enable healthier kids to build community.
What else do you want the community to know about KRD?
I donated a kidney to my brother in 2007. The donation allowed him to live a full and physically fit life where he spent most of his free time riding his mountain bike. We continue to raise awareness of the life-saving gift of organ donation. I like to think of it like this — everyone needs to be a part of the community and give what they can. Do you know what else can save or transform someone’s life? A bicycle. We’re committed to putting more kids on bikes both locally and around the mountain west region and feel like we’re just getting started!
~~ Dana D.
We’re beyond thankful for KRD’s passion for kids’ bikes and commitment to increasing bike availability for Boulder’s kids! To join KRD in supporting the Kids Holiday Bike Program, donate below!
