OLATHE, Kan. —
"Every kid that wants a bike should have a bike," said Olathe Assistant Solid Waste Superintendent Brian Ottenschnieder. "People don’t know what to do with the ones that aren’t being used anymore."
Ottenschnieder had an idea, though. He gathered about 250 bikes that were rescued from the Olathe Transfer Station, where trash is sorted, and contacted the Lansing Correctional Facility’s Bike Repair Shop.
For over a decade, the shop has been housed within the Lansing Correctional Facility’s property and bike repairs are completed by inmates.
Ottenschnieder said the inmates take special care with their work.
"Their biggest concern is safety of the bicycle for the kids," he said.
Last week, Ottenschnieder picked up the first, fixed batch of 50 bikes and trucked them to Northview Elementary School. The bikes were then given as gifts to students free of charge. With a new children’s bike costing anywhere between $70 to $600 in local stores, the free gift is always appreciated."This was the very first load we’ve brought back … probably not the last," Ottenschnieder said. "I had a lot of help."Submitted, Brian OttenschniederIn some Olathe schools, the Bike Walk KC company, which can be found at bikewalkkc.org , is used to teach children how to ride their bikes. The organization also offers classes to teach adults who, for whatever reason, never learned to ride.Ottenschneider said he hopes that during each October going forward, he will organize a bike collection drive, which will be held at Olathe’s Household Hazardous Waste Facility, 1420 S. […]
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