YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — Three local organizations banded together Sunday to support one cause: the right to safe transportation.
The Mahoning Valley Freedom Fighters, Youngstown Solidarity, and Thrive Mahoning Valley all got together at Westside Bowl to do their part to make local transportation more accessible.
The groups hosted a bike drive, with the goal of collecting 50 bikes for Thrive to donate to community members. The organization currently has a growing list of around 50 people in need of a bike.
“The other thing that we’re trying to do is get people who are interested in learning how to do basic bike repair to come and help donate their time at Thrive Mahoning Valley because there are so many bikes that are coming into them in various states of repair,” said Daphne Carr, a Youngstown Solidarity event organizer.
The idea for the drive came after sculptor Toni Armeni recently finished his design for a new railing surrounding Westside Bowl. Armeni says he’s been making sculptures all his life, including many that are still standing in Youngstown today. He started this project in 2022, and it was officially unveiled during the event.
“I just couldn’t see it to make just some sort of ordinary handrail. I wanted it to be more sculptural. So, the basic idea was to have a series of heads. So, I started by making heads and then installed the heads and just kind of filled in the blanks,” Armeni said.
“We’ve been watching this incredible sculpture unfold over the course of years and very excited to see the last part of it come together,” Carr.
The last part is a bike rack placed near Westside Bowl’s front entrance. Event organizers say it’s what gave them the idea for the bike-themed fundraiser.
“Which I appreciate, just [Carr] organizing this event, just to recognize the different entities around the rally and celebrate my artwork. It’s a cool, cool event,” Armeni said.
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