Borrow-A-Bike helps keep Airmen mobile

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Ashley J. Thum
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  Dormitory residents searching for a transportation solution can now rest easier thanks to an innovative recycling program known as Borrow-A-Bike.

Through the efforts of Airmen dorm leaders and other volunteers, 10 refurbished bicycles are available for use, free of charge, that Airmen can use to get to and from work or recreationally.

Master Sgt. Jennifer Dreier, 28th Civil Engineer Squadron unaccompanied housing superintendent, said Borrow-A-Bike was initially developed as a way of removing abandoned bicycles at the dorms and donating them to a local organization.

"I thought, why not put them back into the dorms if the Airmen were willing to use them?,"
Dreier recalled. "If I lived in the dorms and didn't have a vehicle, I'd take full advantage of a program like this."

Dreier said the project has generated a great deal of interest and most of the bicycles are already signed out.

Airman 1st Class Willie Lyons, 28th CES operations manager, has testified how the program benefits Airmen.

"I was able to go mountain biking without having to rent a bike, and I found a fun way to improve my cardio," Lyons said.

He added that he enjoys this program because it offers basic transportation and outdoor recreation at no cost to Airmen.

"I know a couple Airmen who rented bikes because they didn't have a car on base and needed transportation back and forth to work," said Lyons.

Dreier added that the program continues to be a valuable resource for dorm residents.

For more information or to rent a bicycle, call Dreier at (605) 385-1350.