Media

Sure we know our bikes, but The Kickstand is a really a community resource at its fundamental core. We bring people together under a common theme of civic duty, personal responsibility, and we bring out the innate goodness within people. People want to help others, but sometimes they don’t know how. You don’t need to have knowledge of bikes to volunteer at The Kickstand. The space can always use facilitators to guide our clients, organize materials, and triage donations.

It’s not just people of means who keep our non-profit going. In our shop, I’ve seen homeless volunteers teach wealthier patrons how to change a flat tire and fix a mis-shifting bicycle. Under our roof The Kickstand has brought together people from all ranges of the political spectrum, the young and old, the selfish and the selfless, Gainesville’s East and West. We have refurbished bicycles to donate to children during the holidays, prepared materials for bicycle safety and awareness campaigns, hosted fund-raising events for other non-profits, and even raised money for a rural and impoverished community in El Salvador.

The Kickstand is a venue to show movies, to host art shows, to play music, to offer opportunities for physical activity to children, and to learn about all things bike. Perhaps we are aptly named: The Kickstand. The most overlooked and neglected part of a bicycle, the kickstand supports a bicycle upright and out of the ground. Similarly we lift people’s spirits, hopes, and dreams. We are part of the fabric that makes Gainesville so unique, knitting people from various walks of life who would otherwise never meet.

Our community. Our Kickstand.

– Rajeeb

Below are a few notable events from our past.

2009

Holiday Bicycle Donation

The Kickstand was the site of a Harvest of Hope benefit and fundraising event on August 8th.

The Kickstand was featured in the Independent Florida Alligator: the lead story in July 2009 and in a multimedia piece in April 2009.

The Kickstand was also featured in the Gainesville Sun in July.