WILLEMSTAD - Bikes 4 Kids Curaçao gave 111 children a bicycle as a gift last weekend. It was the last year of the organization, which is no longer able to complete fundraising due to the corona pandemic.
Every year between Sinterklaas and Christmas, Bikes 4 Kids organizes a big event where as many children as possible get a bicycle. The children are taken by bus to the event where they are given food and drink. The bicycles are properly adjusted and the children are given a safety helmet. Last year the event was canceled due to the corona measures. The 106 children who would receive a bicycle in 2020 have now received it last weekend.
Sylva Skyvara and Clark Bloom set up the foundation in May 2012 with the money they received as a gift at their wedding. In the first year, Bikes 4 Kids was able to give 36 bicycles as gifts to underprivileged children. In the second year, the number grew to 86 bicycles.
The organization has partnered with several orphanages, the White Yellow Cross Care Foundation, Kiwanis, and other institutions. Every child between the ages of two and eighteen from the participating family receives a bike from Bikes 4 Kids.
The board regrets the end of Bikes 4 Kids. The foundation runs entirely on donations and due to the current corona situation, many sponsors are having a hard time financially. “When the world is turned upside down, you make do with what you have,” said Skyvara. The American couple has topped up the outstanding amount themselves for the 2021 event, but cannot continue to do so in the future. “Everything depends on fundraising and we don't know what to expect with the pandemic.”
In total, Bikes 4 Kids provided bicycles for more than 1,100 children on Curaçao. Skyvara does not rule out a possible restart. “We get a lot of support and a lot of people want us to continue with the project. It must be financially feasible, but never say never.”