The annual “Get Wheelin’ in Westlawn” event offered free bicycle tune-ups and family bike rides in the Westlawn community on Friday and Saturday, June 25-26, and Friday and Saturday, July 23-24.
The two weekend events were organized by the Westlawn Partnership for a Healthier Environment, which was established by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Nursing with funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The partnership gathers community stakeholders to identify and address environmental health risks in the neighborhood.
“When the partnership began, outdoor air pollution was one of the top five areas of concern, so the bike tune-ups are a way to get people cycling instead of driving, while also promoting a healthy activity and building community,” said Anne Dressel, UWM assistant professor of nursing. “Over the past 10 years, and with the support of the nonprofit DreamBikes, over 1,000 bikes have been repaired in the Westlawn community free of charge.”