So far we have received 5 bicycles (1 is not included in the picture below) and we still need 45 more! Please ask around and spread the word. Our strategy for Armenia is different, since World Bicycle Relief does not deliver to Armenia. The Armenian bicycles stores are also too expensive for out budget of $120/bicycle. Thus we are collecting them in Los Angeles and using a shipping container provided by Focus on Children Now to deliver all 50 bicycles to Armenia. The bicycles will transform the lives of these orphans for the better and we need your help!
Monday, December 30, 2013
Collecting used bicycles to send to Armenia
Friday, December 20, 2013
Top 10 Inspiring Grantee Stories of 2013
I am humbled that the Pollination Project has included our organization in their top 10 list of 2013. Thank you!
Please click here to see their complete list.
Please click here to see their complete list.
Labels:
Pollination
Thursday, December 19, 2013
New Bike donation.
Thank you to Lori Koubikian for donating a bicycle!! A little girl at an Armenian orphanage will be very happy. Thank you for your generosity. As you know , for orphanage in Armenia, we decided to collect bikes & ship it there. Its actually mroe cost efficient. So far we have collected 5 bicycles but we still need 45 more. Please spread the word and let's help the orphans in Armenia!
Look out for a possible bike collection drive!
Look out for a possible bike collection drive!
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
More Donations!!!
Even after the bike-a-thon/hike-a-thon, the kindness of strangers has not ended. Last week we recieved donations totaling to $275! We are blessed to have supporters like you guys. Every donation, big or small, changes an orphans life and every time we are one step closer to providing orphans, all around the world, with the gift of education. Thank you for your generosity!
Friday, November 8, 2013
Thank you to the Vaya Con Dios Foundation!
We were shocked to receive a check from the Vaya Con Dios Foundation. The $2,000 donation will make a dramatic change in the lives of orphans. We never expected this kindness from total strangers. Their generosity inspires us to do more and reach out to more orphans around the globe. Thank you so much!
Thursday, November 7, 2013
We are now accepting bicycles!
If you live in the LA area and have bicycle you would like to donate please let us know. These bicycles will be sent to orphans in Armenia. Our goal is to collect 50 bicycles by January 1st!
Our strategy to equip Armenian orphans with bicycles is to send them used bicycles. Unfortunately World Bicycle Relief cannot ship it to Armenia as they focus primarily in Africa.
We will accept bikes that are in good condition and that can handle rough terrain. Please send us an email to bikes4orphanages@gmail.com if you are interested.
Our strategy to equip Armenian orphans with bicycles is to send them used bicycles. Unfortunately World Bicycle Relief cannot ship it to Armenia as they focus primarily in Africa.
We will accept bikes that are in good condition and that can handle rough terrain. Please send us an email to bikes4orphanages@gmail.com if you are interested.
Photo credits: World Bicycle Relief
Friday, November 1, 2013
Monday, October 28, 2013
Sean Bird's Cycling Blog
One of our team members, Sean Bird, is a very gifted athlete. He is a Category 3 road biker and Category 1 mountain biker who has won numerous races in the Southern California area. His goal is to become a professional cyclists in Europe and we are sure he will get there. In June, in order to combine his passion for print journalism and cycling, he created a cycling blog which reviews all the latest cycling gears from power meters to bars and gels. I (Sebouh) have been interested in cycling since freshman year, but it was not until meeting Sean, when I really became committed to this great sport. If you are a cyclist or just interested please visit http://seanbirdcycling.blogspot.com/. I find his reviews very helpful as an aspiring competitive cyclist myself.
Thank you Mayor Dave Weaver!
I am honored to be receiving this Commendation Award on behalf of the Bikes 4 Orphans' team. Hopefully you can attend our Bike-a-thon and Hike-a-thon next year!
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Very Successful Bike-a-thon and Hike-A-Thon, THANK YOU!
We are so excited to report that we've raised almost $6000! We had more than 150 participants and many wonderful volunteers. We were blown away by the support of our community. THANK YOU!
Thank you to Solemn Bound for putting on an amazing performance. Thank you to the St. Francis Mountain Biking team for supporting this event. Thank you to the Glendale Adventist Medical Team for providing medical support. Thank you Warner Brothers, PAA, Incycle, and Pasadena Cyclery for donating wonderful items for the raffle. And thank you to Vita Coco for providing hundreds of bottles of coconut juice (People loved it). We can all proudly say that we came together as a community and made a difference in the lives of orphans. We are truly honored and humbled by all your support.
Update 11/07/13: $8241 raised from Bike-a-thon/Hike-a-thon
October 26th, 2013. Our 1st bike/hike-a-thon |
More photos will be posted on our FB. Please check our FB page.
Monday, October 14, 2013
More details about the Oct26 bike/hike event.
We have created another blog you updated on our Bike-a-thon/Hike-a-thon. Here is the link.
Please remember that this bike-a-thon is not a race but a fun event to bring the biking community together and help raise funds for Bikes 4 Orphans.
See you all on October 26, 2013 at the Glendale Sports Complex! Please RSVP here on our Facebook event page.
Please remember that this bike-a-thon is not a race but a fun event to bring the biking community together and help raise funds for Bikes 4 Orphans.
See you all on October 26, 2013 at the Glendale Sports Complex! Please RSVP here on our Facebook event page.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Donating Online
For the people who are interested on donating online.
Please visit http://www.focusonchildrennow.org/involved/donate.htm.
Important: Under "AIM" please write "Bikes 4 Orphans"
Thank you for your support!
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Bikes 4 Orphans is an official non-profit 501(c)3 organization!
We have some great news to announce!
A non-profit organization, Focus on Children Now, has selected Bikes 4 Orphans to become a branch of their organization. FCN is an organization that helps impoverished children around the world. We decided to merge with them in order to be classified as an official non-profit organization and in order to take advantage of their wide variety of assets.
Thus, all future checks should be written out to "Focus on Children Now-Bikes 4 Orphans" and all future donations will go through their website. It is also important to note that the mission of Bikes 4 Orphans will stay the same; we will continue to donate to orphanages in order to provide access to education and other basic necessities in life through bicycles.
FCN website: http://www.focusonchildrennow.org/
A non-profit organization, Focus on Children Now, has selected Bikes 4 Orphans to become a branch of their organization. FCN is an organization that helps impoverished children around the world. We decided to merge with them in order to be classified as an official non-profit organization and in order to take advantage of their wide variety of assets.
Thus, all future checks should be written out to "Focus on Children Now-Bikes 4 Orphans" and all future donations will go through their website. It is also important to note that the mission of Bikes 4 Orphans will stay the same; we will continue to donate to orphanages in order to provide access to education and other basic necessities in life through bicycles.
FCN website: http://www.focusonchildrennow.org/
Friday, September 20, 2013
First Annual Fundraising Event for Bikes 4 Orphans
We are so excited to publish our flyer for the October 26, 2013 Bike-a-thon / Hike-a-thon. Bring your family, friends, neighbors and pets! Lets transform an orphan's life!
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
I am honored to see another media coverage of our project. Thank you Pasadena Now!
Keep in mind that our 1st annual fundraiser is on Oct 26 in Glendale Ca. It's a bike-a-thon & hike-a-thon event and the whole family is invited. Flyer will be posted soon.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Orphans at the Machao Orphanage Riding their bicycles!
Check out the orphans at the Machao Orphanage riding their bikes. They were extremely happy and their lives have been forever changed. This is the power of bicycles!
Click on the link for the Youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWwRT-Zhhy4
Bikes 4 Orphan on LA Times!
This has been an exciting week for Bikes 4 Orphans. LA Times decided to run our story from the Glendale News-press article because it had gained so much popularity!
Once again, we would like to invite people to come participate at our bike-a-thon/hike-a-thon on October 26, 2013 at the Glendale Sports Complex.
Thank you for all your support!
LA Times article here: http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-glendale-teen-20130909,0,5860133.story
Once again, we would like to invite people to come participate at our bike-a-thon/hike-a-thon on October 26, 2013 at the Glendale Sports Complex.
Thank you for all your support!
LA Times article here: http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-glendale-teen-20130909,0,5860133.story
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Thanks Glendale News Press for Covering Bikes 4 Orphans Project.
We are honored to be mentioned in the Glendale News-press. We hope that this raises more awareness for Bikes 4 Orphans and orphans around the world who are in need of bicycles to gain an access to education and other necessities.
We also hope that the community will support our hike-a-thon and bike-a-thon at the Glendale Sports Complex on October 26, 2013.
Check out the article here: http://www.glendalenewspress.com/news/tn-gnp-teen-helps-put-bikes-in-africa-20130906,0,2304158.story
We also hope that the community will support our hike-a-thon and bike-a-thon at the Glendale Sports Complex on October 26, 2013.
Check out the article here: http://www.glendalenewspress.com/news/tn-gnp-teen-helps-put-bikes-in-africa-20130906,0,2304158.story
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Bikes 4 Orphans made it into the local news!
I am thrilled to see that our local newspaper, CV Weekly, felt our story is a worthy news to be included in their print edition. I am hoping more teenagers will see this and get inspired to act. Thank you CV Weekly!
The group’s beginnings stem from a conversation between Bazikian and Dr. Carolyn Rowley, the director of the Machao Orphanage. He learned of the children’s struggle to get to school, and vowed to provide the orphanage with the bicycles they needed.
“I knew that there was no going back and that I had to do everything in my power to keep my promise,” explained Bazikian. “We made a promise and you have to keep your promises. I had to man up. It was a serious promise that I made and I wasn’t going to let 43 kids down.”
Read complete article here:
Monday, August 26, 2013
Principal of the school orphans attend acknowledges the importance of the bicycles donated by Bikes 4 Orphans
Click on this link to see the video:
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Rotary Club of Glendale (Noon) donated 32 Bicycles!
Today, I was invited to present Bikes 4 Orphans to the members of the rotary club, who are all influential people in the community. The members at the Rotary Club were some of the most generous people I have ever met. By the end of my presentation, they pledged to donate 32 bicycles or ($3,840, $120 for each bike) for the next two orphanages. I was moved and touched by their generosity and their willingness to help Bikes 4 Orphans and transform the lives of orphans. When I started this project, I never imagined people would be so willing to donate to causes like this and help make an impact on the world. My team and I are humbled and grateful.
The Rotary Club of Glendale (Noon) website: http://www.glendalerotarynoon.org/
The Rotary Club of Glendale (Noon) website: http://www.glendalerotarynoon.org/
The President of the Rotary Club, Natalie Komuro, and Sebouh Bazikian |
Monday, August 5, 2013
Back from Kenya: Mission Accomplished
I just got back from an amazing & humbling trip to Kenya. The bikes were a huge hit! And I witnessed first hand the effectiveness & power of bikes in 3rd world countries. The younger children were able to go to school (instead of walking for 2 hours which I personally experienced), 3 of the older orphans used the bikes to go to work and one even was able to travel far and visit an extended family member for the 1st time in 2 years.
Here is a quick glimpse of the trip. Video & complete album will be ready after August 15th.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
$175 Donation from Arcadia High School Fruit Snack Sale!
One of our Bikes 4 Orphans team members, Kahui, organized a Fruit Snack Sale at Arcadia High School. He inspired many of his friends to help out with this fundraiser. After buying all the Fruit Snacks, Kahui and his classmates worked 10 hours throughout the week to sell all their Fruit Snacks. Their hard work was rewarded after they raised $175, enough to buy almost 2 bicycles. We encourage other teenagers and their high schools to participate and organize fundraisers to raise money for Bikes 4 Orphans. Us teenagers, do not have to wait for adults to make a difference in the world, we can make the difference ourselves just like Kahui and his classmates did!
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Volunteering Day!
Bikes 4 Orphans members attending volunteering day to put together care packages to send to the orphans at the Machao Orphanage. The care packages include basic hygiene items like shampoo, toothbrushes and etc. These are items these children desperately needed. Stay tuned for the next volunteering day!
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Bike-a-thon and Hike-a-thon!
Bring your family, friends, pets, and even strangers to our bike-a-thon and hike-a-thon at Mt. Wilson/Henninger Flats on June 15th. There will be music, food, speeches, and a raffle!
We are also looking for volunteers who can help us during our event. If you are a student, we will give your service hours!
If you are interested please email me at bikes4orphanages@gmail.com
We are also looking for volunteers who can help us during our event. If you are a student, we will give your service hours!
If you are interested please email me at bikes4orphanages@gmail.com
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Meet our new volunteer!
A couple days ago, a teenager and a new friend approached me to offer his help with Bikes 4 Orphans. Kahui is an example of a teenager who has decided to combine his passion for cycling with charity. Like the rest of the Bikes 4 Orphans team, he is an avid cyclist. He is also part of the junior cycling team of the PAA (Pasadena Athletic Association), a prestigious cycling team and association. As an 11th grader at Arcadia High School, he has already taken initiative and has began making plans to organize a fundraiser at his school to raise more money and create public awareness about Bikes 4 Orphans. He has already proven to be an valuable team member. With his help we can attract more cyclists to our Bike-a-thon at Mt. Wilson on June 2nd. Kahui is a great role model for future teenagers who want to be part of something greater than themselves and combine their passion with charity!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Loco Motion 10K Run
We are proud to say that we are Community Partners for the Loco Motion 10k run scheduled on October 20, 2013. The race is meant to raise awareness and advocate for a safer and more accessible means of travel throughout Los Angeles and advocate for bike safety and promote the benefits of alternative transportation. We encourage all of our supporters to participate in this great cause to show your support. You can visit their website/sign up here: http://www.locomotion10k.com/resources/ and make sure to like their Facebook page as well: https://www.facebook.com/LocoMotion10k
Friday, April 5, 2013
Bikes 4 Orphans Facebook Page!
Come check out our Facebook page. We will be posting regular updates about the bike-a-thon and any other interesting news regarding our project. Please like the page to show your support about our cause. You can like the page if you click on this link: https://www.facebook.com/Bikes4Orphans
Monday, April 1, 2013
Peace First Prize
Recently we turned in our application for the Peace First Prize. This organization awards $50,000 to projects that promote peace, like ours. Bikes 4 Orphans promotes peace by donating bicycles to orphans so they will have the opportunity to go to school and receive a better education. This education will prevent them from living lives of violence and crime in a country where poverty rates are high and crime is prevalent. You can visit their website here and read about interesting projects they have funded to promote peace: http://www.peacefirst.org/prize/ .
Saturday, March 16, 2013
New Sponsors for the Bike-a-thon and $4200 raised!
I am pleased to announce that we have completed our goal of $4200 because of the generosity of 5 new sponsors. First of all I want to thank these sponsors:
- Skyline Home Loans
- Element 18 Design and Communications
- Sarian Insurance Agency
- AGD-AGC
- Daily Computing Solutions, Inc.
The next challenge is to organize the Mountain Biking Event and to raise awareness for the project!
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Buy Our T-shirts and help us raise money
Hi everyone! We have created our T-shirts that we will be wearing to meet with various business for sponsorships. After we figure out the businesses that will be sponsoring Bikes 4 Orphans and the Mountain Biking event we will create a new batch of T-shirts.
You can buy these T-shirts at our Zazzle store: http://www.zazzle.com/bikes4orphans
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Happy Birthday Deena!
I knew that in order for this project to succeed, I needed to inspire teenagers to help these 42 orphans! I am honored and proud to say that this has come true, especially from a generous donation from a teenage girl, Deena. She just celebrated her 14th birthday. Most teenagers want to buy clothes, video games, shoes and other "stuff", but instead she decided to donate $300 from her birthday money to this cause. She is an inspiration to all teenagers, that we do have the power to change lives. Her generous gift will allow us to buy 3 bicycles for orphans, some of them which are teenagers like Deena and I. Her donation will change the lives of these three orphans forever and give them the precious gift of education. I hope Deena can be a role model to other teenagers! Thank you Deena for your support and for believing in this cause!
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
$500 from Armenian Youth Federation and $1000 from The Pollination Project
Talking to a 40 kids about my project. You can see the bike-a-thon route on the projector |
In order to raise the rest of the $1200, we have planned bake sales at St. Francis High School, a dinner fundraiser at a local restaurant, and the Bike-a-thon in May.
Thank you so much to everyone who has helped with this project. We are changing the lives of 42 very deserving orphans!
Sunday, February 10, 2013
New Bike Route
The yellow line is the bike route, which is also a
fire road. As you can see it is right on top of the mountain,
the riders will have a gorgeous view of the city.
|
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
$1350 raised and $2850 left to go
This is our new logo courtesy
of Crank LA Clothing Store.
Bikes4orphans.com is
currently under construction
and will be completed in 3 weeks
|
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
My Grandpa's donation
My beloved Grandpa passed away last Saturday The night before he died he called me into his room to donate $200 to my project to donate 42 bicycles to the orphans at the Machao Orphanage in Kenya. He was very supportive of me and I want to dedicate this project to him as well as all the orphans. Throughout his life, he has constantly helped others in need, he is my inspiration and during his last day he did one more good deed before passing away. Rest in peace Grandpa.
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