Volunteers of the Month for 2014

Fall Volunteers of the Month

As we hunker down for another winter storm, we would like to look back on less snowy times and honor all of those people that helped to make the fall such a wonderful and fun time for the Bike Lab. So please join us in thanking the following individuals for all their service to the bicycling community of Falmouth.

September - Bob Porto

Bob is an avid rider and can be found
riding all the way up to the canal

Bob Porto is the 8th Grade Engineering Teacher at Lawrence School and is widely considered a bicycle guru. Among his many accomplishments, has worked to install the HUB system at Lawrence which tracks mileage ridden and walked by both students and faculty alike. Bob encourages folks to use people-powered transportation as much as possible and rides his bike often. In recent years, he's logged over 2,000 miles a year and enjoys participating in the Bike MS Cape Cod Getaway ride each year with his wife, Janice Lewis.  Bob volunteered this fall as the Bike Lab Ambassador for Lawrence School which included team teaching the Earn-A-Bike session and acting as liaison between the Bike Lab, Parents, Students and Lawrence School. Without Bob, the Lawrence Earn-A-Bike would simply not have happened. Bob continues to work tirelessly towards getting more people riding bikes and we look forward to working with him in the future.

October - Dusty Fauth

Dusty Fauth is a 3rd Grade Teacher at Mullen Hall School who acted as the Bike Lab Ambassador to the school and team taught the Earn-A-Bike Program in the fall. Having spent a year living in the busy city of Istanbul, Dusty really appreciates the open spaces and comparatively low traffic we have here in Falmouth, especially during the off season. You will often find him cruising up and down the bike path with his young son in tow. The bike path is a great way to enjoy the beauty of Falmouth, and both of the Fauth boys enjoy the scenery. He enjoys teaching at the Bike Lab because of all the active learning that takes place. It is a great break from the paper and pencil of the classroom for both the kids and their teacher. Dusty is proud to live in a community where something like the Bike Lab can exist. "It takes a lot of good people coming together to keep something like the Lab running!" Dusty is definitely one of those people and we thank him for all he does for the people of Falmouth and Cape Cod.

November - Calebe and Maria

Our November Volunteers of the Month are also our youngest VOMs yet. Calebe and Maria are siblings that come in to Open Shop just about every Thursday and help us tinker on bikes. Maria is a 3rd grader that enjoys volunteering at the Bike Lab because it gives her an opportunity to learn new things. The Bike Lab is the perfect place for her love of both learning and bicycles. "I like bicycles because they can take you wherever you want," she told us. And being able to get out of the house is a good thing when you have 4 older brothers! One of those brothers is Calebe, a 4th grader who, in addition to riding bikes, also enjoys playing football and soccer. Calebe's favorite thing about bicycles is how fun they are to ride and he enjoys riding his bike to the Rec Center. Both Calebe and Maria bring a lot of positive energy into the Bike Lab and we thank them for all their efforts!

December - Brennon Kulis

Brennon Kulis has been volunteering regularly at the Bike Lab during Open Shop since the summer. He also works at Corner Cycle doing sales, rentals and repairs and is an avid cyclists. Whether it be at Otis, Trail of Tears in Hyannis or Long Pond, Brennon is first and foremost a bike rider. But Brennon explains, "As any cyclists knows, you better get good at fixing your ride if you want to stay on the trails or road." And over the course of a few years, Brennon has picked up many valuable skills from wrenching on his bike that he enjoys utilizing in the Bike Lab. "I like being able to use what I have learned to help other people out. It's a good feeling to get a bike up and going and know I made the owner happy as well." Brennon is not only a great mechanic, but a great guy too. He is patient and kind to everyone that walks through our doors and we are very excited to see how many bikes he can help get running in 2015!