In 17th year, Rick's Bike Sale surpasses $600K in donations for Dakota County nonprofits
Imagine if nearly every resident of Sunfish Lake went out and bought a new bicycle in the same four-hour window. That's the magic of Rick's Bike Sale.
Rick's Bike Sale, which wrapped up its 17th year in Apple Valley on May 10, saw more than 470 donated bikes cleaned up, put back together and rolled off to new homes to the tune of more than $60,000 this year for two Dakota County nonprofit organizations.
Since its inception, Rick's Bike Sale has donated nearly $628,000 to DARTS, a West St. Paul organization that helps seniors live more independent lives, and Kids 'n Kinship, a program that matches youth with adult volunteers.
'One of my favorite aspects of the sale is that it really is a win-win-win-win,' said Rick Anderson, namesake of the sale, in a news release.
'Folks gladly donate the bikes and appreciate having more room in their garages. Our crew has fun getting the bikes ready for sale. Someone gets a nice, well-tuned clean bike at a great price. DARTS and Kids 'n Kinship get the money,' Anderson said. 'Having a fundraiser that benefits people from start to finish is pretty remarkable.'
Of the 590 bikes donated this year, the slim inventory that did not sell were given to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Bikes for Africa, according to the release.
Anderson and his team will soon begin accepting donations — and volunteer bike mechanics — for the 18th annual sale.
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