Changing Young Children's Lives through Education (CYCLE) is a children's charity dedicated to improving literacy in second grade students in Title One schools in the Greater Houston area. CYCLE envisions every student achieving grade-level reading or above by the end of third grade, putting them on the path to success and empowering them to reach their full potential in school and life.
CYCLE gives young students the opportunity to earn a bicycle for achieving their set goals, and in return they learn that hard work equals reward. They believe that learning this lesson can put school children on the path to a brighter future.
The best way to get involved is through CYCLE's annual bicycle builds. Since the start of their mission, CYCLE has awarded more than 160,000 bicycles to hard-working students in the Greater Houston area. Each of the bicycle programs lead up to these momentous occasions. Companies and members of the public make donations and register to help build and deliver bicycles to excited students across the city of Houston. Volunteers build each bicycle by hand that will then be delivered to each deserving student. CYCLE also accepts new helmet donations to give to the students along with their bike.
Volunteers can also sign up for delivery day, where they can pair up with a student and help them pick out their bike of choice. It is a great charity for volunteers looking to feel like they made a difference because it's not just donating money, it's building a bike and delivering it to a hard working student and seeing the joy on their face when they receive their reward.
The annual Bicycle Ball is CYCLE's biggest fundraiser. Guests can expect a night of celebration, dinner, and dancing, along with live and silent auctions.
Registration for the bicycle build is $45, which goes toward providing the bike kit that each volunteer will build.