Connecting teens with nature
Xcel Energy-Colorado partners with nonprofit to build 25 bicycles
Colorado is a playground for outdoor adventures. However, access to outdoor recreation isn’t always easily accessible to all residents. For many of the students at Westminster High School, the cost of gear and transportation prevents them from fully experiencing this beautiful state.
To bring these students closer to the outdoors, 15 Xcel Energy employees worked alongside 15 students from Westminster High School’s Outdoor Leadership Club to build 25 brand-new bicycles.
The bikes are a critical donation to the school’s outdoor gear library. Through the “library,” students and their families can check out equipment free of charge to take advantage of the outdoor amenities located around the school.
So close yet so far
“One of the biggest barriers to getting kids outdoors is the cost – gear and transportation being at the top of the list,” said Kristen May, the open space stewardship specialist for the City of Westminster. “This bike build helps Westminster High School students hurdle those two costs at once. The Outdoor Leadership Club is already planning to bike to nearby Standley Lake, a regional park many of them have trouble getting to – even though it is within city limits.”
Wish for Wheels
This is the third time that Xcel Energy has partnered with local nonprofit Wish for Wheels, which works with area corporations to build bikes for students that lack access to them. The previous two builds benefitted first-grade students from Girls Inc. of Metro Denver.
Through strategic grant making and volunteerism, Xcel Energy is committed to environmental stewardship programs as well as ensuring youth in the communities we serve have access to environmental education programs. To learn more about our community giving programs, visit www.xcelenergy.com/community.