‘Tis the season for biking and walking and being outdoors! Check out the upcoming volunteer opportunities and show your support for safer streets. The best way to get more people riding is for you to be there to encourage people who don’t bike to give it a try, and show our appreciation to those who already ride in the Burgh!

Two huge events are coming up soon: The Pittsburgh Marathon events on May 5th, and Bike to Work Day (BTWD) on Friday, May 17th, and we need your help! Like last year, we will be hosting 14 hydration stations on BTWD hosted by various businesses and schools and we need you to represent BikePGH at the stations. You’ll give out bags of swag (and get one for yourself too!) and chat with people biking by over coffee and snacks.

Not available on May 5th or 17th? There are lots of other upcoming volunteer opportunities to check out:

I Bike. I Walk. I Vote. Data Entry: Any Time!
Where: Bike Pittsburgh Office 188 43rd St, Pittsburgh, PA 15201
To Do: We need help with data entry for our “I Bike. I Walk. I Vote” campaign. You can come into the office any time. We have a stack of petitions with almost 400 names.

Geared 4 Girls Bike Rally: Saturday, April 20th, 12:45pm – 2:00pm
Where: The Ellis School in Oakland- 6425 Fifth Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15206
To Do: Teams of middle school “Sci Girls” have been working hard to transform their bikes in an innovative way. This is their final unveiling, a project runway for re-engineered bikes! The girls and their parents will have 45 mins to explore the different resources and groups in Pittsburgh. Give out maps, 101 Guides and other materials while you talk with them about riding!

Volunteer Night & Optional BTWD Volunteer Training: Wednesday, May 1st, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Where: Bike Pittsburgh Office 188 43rd St. Pittsburgh, PA 15201
To Do: The regular and more! Envelope stuffing, letter writing, button making, pizza, and good company! Also, hang out with us to learn some good talking points, understand our mission and vision, and get familiar with our materials. This training will focus on both regular tabling tactics as well as things specific to the upcoming Bike to Work Day event. *We need trained volunteers to help us the morning of May 17th! See details below.

Pittsburgh Marathon Expo & Festival Weekend, May 3, 4, 5
Where: Convention Center May 3, 4,  Point State Park May 5
To Do: Represent Bike Pittsburgh at the GNC Live Well Pittsburgh Health and Fitness Expo and The Green Wireless Finish Line Festival. Talk to people about Bike Pittsburgh’s advocacy, programming, and events, and encourage people to sign I Bike. I Walk. I Vote.!
Many shifts are available on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Please look at the Volunteer Calendar to figure out which shift is best for you! 

First Ever Walk to School Day Parade! Wednesday, May 8th
Where: Pittsburgh Faison in Homewood. *Training on April 22nd, Event on May 8th
To Do: Accompany students on their walk to school in “Walking School Buses”. Must have ACT 33/34 Clearances. Please contact Marteen Garay of the Homewood Children’s Village for more information: mgaray@hcvpgh.org

Pack up Swag Bags! Tuesday, May 14th, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Where: Bike Pittsburgh Office 188 43rd St. Pittsburgh, PA 15201
To Do: Pack up bags of swag for Bike to Work Day. Get a sneak peek at what will be inside.  Eat Spak Bros pizza and hang with great people.

BTWD Hydration Station Managers: Friday, May 17th 7am – 9:30am
Choose a Neighborhood/Location: Point Breeze North, Friendship, Lawrenceville, Squirrel Hill, Downtown Market Square, Northside, Hill District, South Side, Shadyside (Whole Foods), Shadyside (Chatham), Oakland (CMU), Oakland (Pitt), Uptown (Duquesne)
To Do: Be an advocate for BikePGH to people who stop by the hydration station. Hand out maps and 101 guides, thank people for riding their bike, and encourage people to become BikePGH members and add their voices to the mix. Help the hydration station host hand out breakfast snacks and Swag Bags (and keep one for yourself!).

BTWD Swag Bag “Replenishers” & Collectors (Car Access Helpful): Friday May 17th 8am-10:30am
Where: All over the city
To Do: Last year some hydration stations ran out of bags, while others had extras. It’s had to calculate how many bags should go where, so we need an on-call delivery person to take bags from the office to hydration stations that are low on swag bags. Although we are “Bike” Pittsburgh, this job will require a car for speed and carrying capacity.  After the morning BTWD hydrations stations have closed, collect leftover swag bags and other materials from the various hydration station locations and return the items to the BikePGH office.

Venture Outdoors Fest: Saturday, May 18th 11:00am-6:00pm (Shifts- 10:45am-2:30pm, 2:30pm-6:00pm, or both)
Where: Point State Park
To Do: Park bicycles for bike valet, talk about Bike Pittsburgh with people attending the fest, and enjoy the activities!