SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Coinciding with National Bike Month, the Sacramento Region Community Foundation is pleased to announce that applications for the annual Bike Safety and Awareness Grant are open now through Friday, May 29. 

The Foundation encourages nonprofit organizations that provide education about bike safety and bike/vehicle coexistence to apply.

Last year, a Field of Interest Fund was initiated when a generous local individual partnered with the Sacramento Region Community Foundation to open a grant in memory of his late wife who was a bicycling enthusiast and committed to bicycle safety. The first Maggie O’Mara Bicycle Safety Award of $8,500 was to Safetyville USA, which provides life-saving skills and awareness education to children and their caregivers through interactive tours, programs and events. 

Safetyville USA used the funds to plan a family-focused event called Maggie’s Ride to deliver hands-on, interactive education designed to teach children and families safe cycling practices while promoting mutual respect and coexistence between bicyclists and vehicles.

The inaugural Maggie’s Ride is scheduled for May 16 (rescheduled date due to rain). Participants will explore Safetyville USA’s miniature city in a self-guided ride that allows children and families to move at their own pace while practicing essential cycling skills such as helmet use, proper signaling, navigating intersections and sharing the road responsibly. Trained staff and volunteers will be stationed throughout the course to offer instruction, answer questions and reinforce positive riding habits. 

The event will also feature interactive learning stations and workshops focused on topics such as traffic awareness, visibility and understanding road signs. Families will receive printed and digital safety resources to extend learning beyond the event day. To reduce barriers to participation, 200 helmets will be distributed to attendees at no cost, and a bike giveaway will provide bicycles to children and families who may not have the means to purchase one. Safetyville USA will also host a free Bike/Trike-A-Thon for one Title I school or local nonprofit serving children.

Nonprofit organizations committed to the cause can apply for the 2026 Maggie O’Mara Bicycle Safety Award on the Sacramento Region Community Foundation’s website at sacregcf.org/nonprofits/#apply on or before May 29. 

Community members, businesses and/or organizations interested in establishing funds in partnership with the Sacramento Region Community Foundation can learn more at sacregcf.org/donors.

 For more information about the center of philanthropy in the greater Capital City region, visit sacregcf.org.