The DC Write-Up

Summertime for most kids is an opportunity to get away from school and enjoy time playing video games or hanging out at the park. But for those who are either ill or impoverished, summer can be just another season in a difficult young lifejust another dream. Thankfully, people in and around Washington, D.C. are working to make that dream a reality in a number of ways.First, a bike co-op in Alexandria called Velocity is hoping to provide future skills and self-esteem to area teens by teaching them the skills of bike repair. Volunteer Christian Myers grew up with too much time on his hands and a penchant for getting into trouble until he saw the change a mentor could make in a young person’s life. He worked as a bike messenger in D.C. for 12 years before forming Velocity to pass his skills on to others. Teens learn all the details of crankshafts and pedals as they work to build their own cycle, which they then keep. Velocity also offers courses such as bicycle maintenance classes for suggested donations of 30. Interested readers can also donate online at the velocity website.Another new development is the unveiling of the first children’s emergency room in Washington, D.C. Although the center doesn’t open officially until September, the company behind Children’s National Medical Center has been dedicated to helping children for 140 years. D.C. Committee on Health Chairman David Catania was instrumental in the development of the hospital, remembering his own youth as a meningitis patient. On July 17, the El Zol Spanish radio station will be broadcasting live and interviewing patients at the hospital, helping to raise even more awareness about this already exciting event. If you’re interested in donating online, you can find the form here.