UWM hosts 10th annual Westlawn bicycle event in June and July

MILWAUKEE _ The annual “Get Wheelin’ in Westlawn” event will offer free bicycle tune-ups and family bike rides in the Westlawn community on Friday and Saturday, June 25-26, and again Friday and Saturday, July 23-24. To mark the 10th anniversary of the event, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes will attend on June 26 and give remarks before the family bike ride, which begins at 10 a.m. at Westlawn Gardens Playground Pavilion (corner of West Custer Avenue and North 62nd Street).

The two weekend events are organized by the Westlawn Partnership for a Healthier Environment, which was established by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Nursing with funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The partnership gathers community stakeholders to identify and address environmental health risks in the neighborhood.

“When the partnership began, outdoor air pollution was one of the top five areas of concern, so the bike tune-ups are a way to get people cycling instead of driving, while also promoting a healthy activity and building community,” said Anne Dressel, UWM assistant professor of nursing. “Over the past 10 years, and with the support of the nonprofit DreamBikes, over 1,000 bikes have been repaired in the Westlawn community free of charge.”

Bicycle Repairs: Fridays 
UWM students and staff from the Bicycle and Motorcycle Engineering Research Lab in the College of Engineering & Applied Science are offering bike repairs in collaboration with DreamBikes.

Where: Westlawn Gardens Playground Pavilion (corner of West Custer Avenue and North 62nd Street)
When: 3-6 p.m., Fridays, June 25 and July 23

Family Bike Rides: Saturdays
Members of the Wisconsin Bike Federation will lead a family-friendly 3.5-mile ride. Participants should bring a bike and helmet.

Where: Rides leave from the Westlawn Gardens Playground Pavilion (corner of West Custer Avenue and North 62nd Street.)
When: 10 a.m. Saturdays, June 26 and July 24.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.