Trips for Kids teaches lessons in personal responsibility and self-achievement.  We give these children a chance to see life in a different light.  Through the simple act of having fun, we are helping them to realize that they matter and can change their choices in life.

We do this by using a mountain bike.  The mountain bike is a great tool because kids and bikes are a natural combination.  Remember riding around the neighborhood as a kid and that sense of freedom and self-empowerment you had instilled from being on two wheels?   It is this affinity that allows us to use the bike to share the great outdoors while teaching valuable life lessons. 

Our rides, on off-road trails in state parks, provide physical challenges and opportunities to learn new skills while affording the kids a rare opportunity to get out of the city and breathe fresh air.  Working as a team and encouraging and supporting each other under the guidance of our trained Trips for Kids volunteers, the kids who ride with us confront and overcome new challenges, learn to work with new people and may become involved in a lifelong sport. At the conclusion of our rides, we form a circle with all of the participants and we reflect on lessons learned.  We encourage the kids to apply these lessons to other aspects of their lives.  Here is a sample of comments from the kids:

“I had the best day of my life.”  Tyrone, age 15

The kids who come on our Trips for Kids rides come from areas of Pueblo and the surrounding areas where “riding around the neighborhood” is not an option and most do not have access to bikes.  Getting out of the confines of the city and having a good old-fashioned fun time is valuable for youth who are constantly surrounded by pavement, trash, drugs and violence.  Through our supervised rides outside the city, kids are given the chance to just be kids again.  The two-to-one ratio of volunteer to youth means that each child will receive undivided attention and support from a caring adult. 

“I learned if you keep trying you can get to the top.”  Morris, age 11

Our goal at Trips for Kids is to use the bicycle to show kids that their efforts do bring rewards.  This encourages a deeper sense of self-worth.  The challenge of the trail is a tangible goal that kids can achieve on a bicycle.  Lessons of teamwork and opportunities to boost self-esteem come naturally while out riding on the trail.

“I learned that I can do anything if I believe I can.”  Mike, age 17

Our rides teach children that they can control not just a bike, but their lives as well.  They are able to see the direct cause of their actions -- if they try to go too fast and do not use their brakes properly, they may fall and get hurt.  This is a valuable lesson for kids with discipline problems and those “at-risk” of ending up in gangs or prison.  We challenge the kids to listen, to follow directions, and to understand their own physical limitations.  Studies show the physical act of sweating is, in itself, preventative medicine towards violence.

“Today my legs hurt, but I would do it again.”  Ramiro, age 12    

According to the Surgeon General’s “Report on Physical Activity and Health” kids in the United States are less fit than ever before; nearly half of the youth are inactive on a regular basis.  Today, they have easier access to TV and computer games than to physical endeavors.  However, this is only a question of availability.  Kids naturally want to play and to be outside.  When given the choice, most would prefer to spend their time outdoors.  Trips for Kids provides that opportunity.  

With these experiences, our hope is that we can help these children overcome obstacles they often live with in their everyday world, and to see that there are other paths to follow. 

Our Business

In order to make our mission an on-going reality, we really need your support.  All donations go directly to supporting the bike rides, not for administrative costs. 

For instance, a donation of $30 buys 10 bicycle tubes; a donation of $60 buys 10 bicycle helmets; $150 sponsors a ride for 10 kids for one day; and a $300 donation buys another bicycle, and so on. 

With your support, we will reach more children.  We will teach them how to overcome obstacles they face and have safer, healthier, and more productive lives. 

Who We Are

The leaders of Trips for Kids Southern Colorado, Ashley Ross and Glenn Ross, share a passion for riding mountain bikes, outdoor education and community involvement. Their desire and interest to begin a Trips For Kids chapter in Southern Colorado started in a garage dedicated to recycling affordable and environmentally sustainable bicycles to adults and youth through local social purpose organizations such as Posada, Crossroads Managed Care Systems Inc., District 60 Schools, and others. Through our work with local agencies and schools, a need and interest in a program like Trips for Kids was expressed.