NKY's YMCA Camp Ernst Wins Grant for New Bikes

Camp Ernst, the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati's adventure camp for kids ages 6 to 15, has been awarded a Paula Nye Memorial Grant by the Kentucky Bicycle and Bikeway Commission for $7600 that will be used to purchase eight new bikes and provide funding for helmets, training,  program leadership and promotion. 

Below is a note from Bill Easley, Program Coordinator, describing the grant and some of the bike program features that are part of what Camp Ernst's has to offer:

With the eight new bikes we will acquire from this new grant, Camp Ernst will have 30 bikes in our "fleet".  All are under two years old and in excellent condition.  15 of the bikes are used for touring and light off road trips.

Our off road trail and dirt pump track design was donated by Jay Hein of Mechanical Edge LLC.  The Powerline trails were built in 2010 by volunteers and friends of YMCA Camp Ernst.  Equipment for the project was donated from businesses and friends of the camp.  Our blacktop bike skills pad and off road trail signs were donated by two private donors.  Our pump track was constructed by local mountain bike racer Dave Huff, who donated his time to the project.  Dave is expanding the pump track to include an oval for beginning riders and this project will be ready for the 2011 summer campers.  We expect to add additional loops to our off road trails in the wooded area connected to the Powerlines that traverse the camp property.

YMCA Camp Ernst is actively seeking additional support for its youth cycling initiatives from a variety of individuals and corporate sources.  Anyone interested in supporting the cycling programs is encouraged to contact YMCA Camp Ernst at (859) 586-6181 and speak with Bill Easley, the full time Program Coordinator with the Y.

Camp Ernst is located at 7615 Camp Ernst Road, Burlington, KY, 41005.