Ohio nonprofit building hundreds of bikes for kids in foster care

By Nadia Ramlagan

Bike riding is a childhood rite of passage but most kids in foster care in Ohio do not have the ability to ride one.

One organization relaunching this month works to assemble and donate bikes to children’s services agencies across the state.

Kate Koch, executive director of the nonprofit Bike Lady, said many counties request hundreds of bikes to help teenagers with transportation needs. The number increases during the holidays, when more children want to experience the joy of owning a new bike.

"It provides a sense of freedom. It teaches a bit of responsibility. It's certainly a rite of passage to learn how to ride a bike. It's something big for a kid in foster care," Koch explained.

Koch recently led volunteers in assembling around 100 bikes, which caseworkers took back to their agencies to give to client families. It was part of a workshop at the Public Children Services Association of Ohio’s conference earlier in the month.

Over the past two decades, the program has provided more than 13,000 Ohio children with a new bike, helmet and lock. Because it takes a few hours to assemble a bike from factory parts, Koch added the organization continues to look for volunteers and support.

"We have just officially kicked off our first fundraising campaign for the 2026 holiday season. So our goal is 500 bikes to serve 500 kids," Koch noted.

According to pediatric occupational therapy experts, regular bike riding helps improve a child’s motor skills, coordination, strength and balance, as well as bone density and lung capacity.