Please Donate to Wheels' Annual Fundraiser

Wheels’ volunteers

provide 72 free bikes with helmets and locks to youth at Centro Hispano.

Dear Friends of Wheels,

We are kicking off our annual Big Share fundraiser, which culminates on March 5th, with a request for your support to help us reach our goal of $15,000. Double your donation by contributing early at this website, 

https://www.thebigshare.org/organizations/wheels-for-winners

Please donate to help us build on our banner year in 2023 (detailed in our 2023 annual report). Whether we're reinvigorating core programming, breathing new life into partnerships or addressing emerging needs, our programming will meet the diverse cycling needs of our community and include enhanced support through the distribution of 20 new bikes. 

These 2023 accomplishments provide the playbook for our approach in 2024:  

• Provided nearly 400 refurbished bikes to our community (a 19% increase from 2022) at no charge to recipients, including over 300 bikes to earners whose community service involved food prep and pantry work, and promoting community bike riding. 

• Enlisted over 15 different volunteers to participate in 30 community bike events (matching our 2022 level) where we repaired 336 bikes at no charge.

• Enhanced our support for long-time partners: repairing 20 bikes at 5 public markets sponsored by Centro Hispano while providing 71 bikes for their Three Kings Day celebration, teaching Bayview Foundation staff bike maintenance skills while providing 15 bikes and 54 bike repairs to Bayview residents, holding in-service training for 7 Lussier Family Heritage Center staff on bike maintenance while repairing 61 bikes in their fleet used for community riding events. 

• Responded to the influx of refugees in our area, by committing to work with Open Doors for Refugees, Jewish Social Services Refugee and Immigration Services, Stoughton Resettlement Project, and the International Crane Foundation to provide 60 bikes to help newly arrived immigrants build new lives.

Since we are an all-volunteer organization, we keep our overhead low and more of your contributions are used to directly support our program activities such as buying supplies to refurbish donated bikes, purchasing over 500 helmets and locks to protect riders and their bikes, and supporting community events.  

Please give now at our Big Share website. Your support is deeply appreciated!

Sincerely,

The Wheels for Winners Team

Thank you to Alicia Jepsen

The board of directors and volunteers wish to extend their appreciation and gratitude to Alicia Jepsen for her many years of service as Treasurer of Wheels for Winners. Alicia is a tireless supporter of Wheels and our mission. In addition to being treasurer, Alicia managed the Wheels’ web and Facebook pages, which she also recently turned over to another board member. Alicia will continue to be a valued Wheels’ mechanic or “wrencher” and we look forward to continuing to work with her.

THANK YOU ALICIA!

Welcome Tom Neuser to the Board of Directors

Tom joined Wheels for Winners in 2021 after visiting the shop to donate a bicycle.  Tom says, “The staff was so friendly and appreciative, and with retirement in my near future, I immediately knew that I wanted to join this group and give back to Madison.”  Tom has been an avid recreational cyclist since high school and commuted by bicycle as much as his job allowed, but had only minimal bike maintenance skills.  “With the help of my new friends at Wheels for Winners, I am much more able to make a bike safe and enjoyable to ride. I have long thought that a child on a bicycle is the happiest, most free spirit on the planet.  I’m glad to do my part to let others enjoy that feeling,” Tom concludes.

Wheels for Winners is fortunate to have Tom join our board!