As 2013 draws to an end, I would like to a few minutes out of my usual role as the Director of Engineering for the Rambus Imaging group to share a different side of Rambus. Since joining Rambus, I’ve had the opportunity to give back to the community by participating in a few of the numerous charity events that we sponsor and/or participate in.
Recently I was privileged to be a part of a charity event where I joined some of my colleagues and over 1,000 other volunteers to build over 2400 bikes for underprivileged children.
The Big Bike Build is yearly event organized by Turning Wheels for Kids (www.turningwheelsforkids.org), which is a grass roots charity organization with a mission to purchase, build, and distribute bicycles to Bay Area charities so children in need can have a bicycle to ride for fun and fitness. This is the 9th year for the event. Most everyone remembers the excitement and fun of riding a bicycle as a child. Adding that feeling to a child’s life is something I personally feel really great about. That’s probably why registration for this event fills to capacity in a matter of minutes every year.
The event volunteers work all year on planning for this event and spend the entire day before setting up the facility. What’s remarkable to see at 7:00 a.m. on the day of the event is the calm and quiet in the South Hall of the San Jose Convention Center with a long row of bicycles lined up from the front of the building to the back – all still in their shipping boxes. The commotion begins at 8:00 a.m. when volunteer bike builders start arriving to begin the controlled chaos of building these bikes.
It’s amazing to be part of this event where over the course of the day more than 1,000 volunteers join in a common goal of building bicycles and making dreams come true for children in need.
I’m proud to have been part of the effort, and I’m pleased that Rambus is a sponsor of the event by lending both muscle and money to this Holiday season charity event. I can’t wait until next year!
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