Broken down truck stalls non-profit kids cycling program | News

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT)- A Richmond non-profit gets kids out of public housing by taking them biking. The program is growing, but the truck that transports the kids and the equipment just broke down.

The repairs will be a huge financial setback.

Several times a week, the Richmond Cycling Corps crew comes to Fairfield Court. They pick up the kids, give them bikes, uniforms and then shows them a side of Richmond many kids may not always get the chance to see.

But a mechanical malfunction may mean, for the first time, they won't be coming.

The bicyclists who train with the group look like professionals. They wear identical uniforms and their equipment is kept in top shape.

But the team is made up of cyclists you may not expect, they're kids that live in some of the tougher neighborhoods in the city.

"The environment in public housing is often bleak, it's not that positive," said Craig Dodson, the Richmond Cycling Corps founder.

The group is trying to change that. Dodson and his crew come to Fairfield Court weekly. They use bikes as a way to get the kids out.

The program has now come to a halt, because their truck just broke down.

"There's two fuel pumps and it's not getting fuel somehow," he said.

The truck can store almost two dozen bikes. It's also used to take the kids to the trails used for training and competitions on the weekends.

Dodson said repairs could cost a couple thousand dollars.  It's an expense the non-profit cannot afford.

The organization pays for everything — from bikes, to uniforms, food, even travel, but it's the truck that keeps the group moving.

Dodson said the group is supposed to take the kids cycling on Friday... A broken down truck means a broken promise.

"We have a very 'we won't fail you' mentality," he said.  "So even though this is unexpected, it is still our responsibility. We've never missed a day and so we hold our youth accountable we hold ourselves accountable."

Dodson says it's a repair that should only take a day.

If you would like to donate to help Richmond Cycling Corps fix their truck, click here.

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