Volunteer at Variety’s Bike Camp
Foster an inclusive community by unlocking independence, building confidence, and giving children with disabilities the joy of riding alongside friends and family.
About Bike Camp
With the use of customized adapted equipment, trained professionals, and over 160 volunteers, approximately 80% of riders living with a disability will learn to independently ride a 2-wheel bike, the remaining 20% make tremendous progress towards that goal! Our Bike Camp in Winnipeg has become the largest of its kind in North America.
Children may feel excluded and embarrassed because they are unable to ride a bike with their friends and family. By giving these children the opportunity to learn the necessary skills, Bike Camp increases independence for these children.
Bike Camp run for two weeks in July, which consists of five 75-minute bike-riding sessions per day, Monday to Friday each week.
Volunteer spotters are needed to walk/run/jog alongside the riders, encourage them, and help them not to fall. We encourage volunteers to commit to attending all 5 days of camp for the session(s) selected. Riders bond with their assigned volunteer(s) and rely on the same person to be there to support them each day of camp. We do understand this is not always a possibility and will welcome volunteers any day or time they can attend!
No prior experience working with children living with disabilities is required. The sessions are supervised by trained professionals who will provide advice on how to best support the child.
Variety’s 2025 Bike Camp was a huge success! Thank you to all the volunteers who generously gave their time to help our riders gain confidence and master riding a two-wheel bike — your support made a lasting impact.
Volunteer requirements:
Volunteers must be at least 14 years old (reach out to us to inquire about some exceptions)
Volunteers will provide encouragement and physical support, as needed.
Volunteer spotters are asked to walk/jog/run alongside a rider as they are learning to ride a bike during a 75-minute session (with short breaks).
Volunteer spotters will walk/jog approximately 2-3 miles during each 75-minute session. Please just keep this in mind if you’re considering volunteering for multiple sessions.
We encourage volunteer spotters to attend all 5 days of camp for the same session(s). These children bond with their assigned volunteers and rely on the same person to be there to support them each day of camp
Please feel free to share this with all your friends, family, coworkers and neighbours!
We have 800 volunteer session timeslots to fill, so the more the merrier!
We will provide letters to document volunteer hours.
We will also have some snacks and lunch for people who stay all day.
Water refill stations are positioned throughout the arena.
Bike Camp Volunteer Registration
Bike Camp runs for two exciting weeks, and each volunteer may register for one or two weeks.
Week 1: June 28 – July 3
Register for Week 1 (June 28 – July 3)
Week 2: July 6 – July 10 Register for Week 2 (July 6 – July 10)
We appreciate your commitment to making Bike Camp a great experience for every child.
We look forward to riding with you!