Children’s Hospital Colorado and Partners Announce Bikes For Life Program

A crowd gathered on the lawn of Children’s Hospital Colorado on Monday to hear the announcement of a partnership with USA Pro Cycling and United Healthcare. The organizations created the program, called Bikes For Life, in the hope of combating childhood obesity through bicycling.

Approximately 75 people attended the event, including employees from all three organizations and children and their families.

A celebratory bike ride led by USA Pro Cycling Challenger Rider

Following the ceremony, 12 children – affiliated with the hospital’s GoodLife Clinic – rode laps around the lawn on new, donated bikes to officially kick off Bikes For Life. USA Pro Cycling Challenge cyclist Scott Zwizanski led the children on the ride and presented them with medals upon completion. Courage Classic riders – who ride 150 miles in a Children’s Colorado Foundation-sponsored bike event in the mountains – were also on-hand to help fit the children for their bikes and helmets and support them through the ride.

Jim Shmerling, president and CEO of Children’s Colorado, emceed the event and Beth Soberg, CEO of United Health Care Colorado, and Shawn Hunter, co-chairman and CEO of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, delivered remarks.

Shmerling spoke about the hospital’s ambition to keep children out of the hospital.

“It’s unusual to hear a hospital say that we need to keep patients from coming in, but that is exactly what we intend to do – through prevention,” Shmerling said. “Exercise, and particularly biking, will help us toward that goal.” Obesity in young children is a growing problem in Colorado, he said, despite the state’s reputation as being fit; he offered Bikes For Life as one solution to the problem.

A partnership to keep kids safe and healthy

Soberg echoed Shmerling’s sentiments: “While Colorado is home to some of the country’s slimmest adults, our children’s weight is trending in the wrong direction,” she said. “We believe that cycling can play an important role in reversing that trend.

“The health benefits of cycling are well-established.…Cycling is an activity that many people enjoy, which increases the likelihood that it can play a part in a sustainable fitness routine.”

“I have personally seen that cycling can literally save lives through its health benefits,” Hunter added, explaining that his son has type I diabetes, which he partly manages by biking.

Both Soberg and Hunter spoke about Colorado’s growing reputation as bicycling country; Hunter explained that the weekend’s event drew the largest number of spectators for any single sporting event in Colorado history. “Cycling has great momentum in Colorado,” he said.

All three speakers thanked each other for participating and addressed the value their partnership can bring to all Coloradoans.

Bikes for Life program continues excitement from USA Pro Cycling Challenge

Bikes For Life’s announcement came on the tails of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, a 518-mile bike race that concluded in Denver on Sunday, and brought hundreds of thousands of spectators to Colorado. United Healthcare sponsored the race.

Children’s Colorado and United Healthcare plan to donate up to 1,000 bicycles and helmets over the next several years to Bikes For Life participants, who will initially come from three Children’s Colorado programs (Good Life Clinic, Shapedown Clinic and the Child health Clinic) and the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Denver. Professional and amateur cyclists and hospital staff will help the children set and achieve the goal of bicycling as a regular activity. The program will include a safety education component.

Once implemented and running, the organizations will conduct a program evaluation to assess the impact of Bikes For Life. Their goal is to develop a sustainable program model that they can expand to reach more children in other settings in future years.

Media outlets covered the event, including The Denver Post, the Denver Business Journal and Reuters.