Battles to Bikes:
A New Path for Local Veterans
For over 20 years, Jim Yurek served his local western Pennsylvania communities as a police officer and in those decades, time and again he interacted with United States veterans in need. At the point he intercepted these American heroes, they were often deep in the throes of trauma, anguish and the feeling that America had forgotten about them. Many of these veterans struggled with mental illness, substance abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and physical injuries related to military combat. Following his retirement from law enforcement, Jim made a significant career change in 2021 and opened The Bike Lab.
Jim soon made friends with Drew, an Army veteran and bike enthusiast, and through the sharing of his harrowing military stories, spurred Jim’s quest to find a way to serve local veterans through The Bike Lab. The idea of Battles to Bikes was born.
In the fall of 2021, a small but passionate group joined forces as the Board of Directors for Battles to Bikes. The five-member Board is composed of business leaders, bike enthusiasts and local community members with a shared vision to serve the veterans of western Pennsylvania. One of the Board members is also an Army veteran. Drew serves as a Board Advisor.
In October 2022, Battles to Bikes was designated a 501c3 non-profit organization by the Internal Revenue Service. Starting out slow as many non-profits do, the initial funds of Battles to Bikes were raised through small raffles and a 62-mile paid-registration group bike ride event on the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) in July 2022. Using an anonymous application process, Battles to Bikes – supported by The Bike Lab – was able to gift its first mountain bike, a Giant, to a local veteran on Saturday, November 12, 2022 in honor of Veterans Day.
In May 2023, Battles to Bikes presented a new Giant Cypress to our friends at Pittsburgh Warriors, a military service-connected hockey team for disabled veterans. Pittsburgh Warriors gifted the bicycle to veteran / Pittsburgh Warriors participant, Josh, who used his new rig to train for and participant in the July 2023 Healing Ride, a GAP trail ride from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C. Since the inception of Battles to Bikes, we have gifted over 12 bicycles to local veterans.
In addition to providing free bicycles to local veterans, Battles to Bikes also hosts semi-famous summertime ‘Bikes & Brews’ Rides, a way to grow community awareness of our cause and to provide a social outlet to veterans, their families and non-veteran friends. Our ‘Bikes & Brews’ Rides take us to various breweries and establishments around Pittsburgh for bites to eat and (optional) beverages. Be sure to watch the Battles to Bikes’ Facebook page for fundraising events and group rides!
For more information about Battles to Bikes, email us at battlestobikes@gmail.com. To access our free bicycle application for veterans in need, please follow the link: Battles to Bikes Veteran Bike Give-a-way Application.