By Gregory N. Hoole
Wheels of Justice Rides to Make a Difference
Even the most serious of problems can be addressed in a fun way. Wheels of Justice is a cycling club dedicated to preventing, and assisting the victims of, child abuse. Shockingly, one in four girls and one in six boys in Utah will be sexually abused before they turn eighteen. Child sex abuse alone costs Utah tax payers approximately $1 billion annually. Wheels of Justice raises money through the sale of cycling kits (jersey, bib shorts, and socks) and corporate sponsorships to support two outstanding organizations making a difference in our community: Prevent Child Abuse Utah (“PCAU”) and the Salt Lake County Children’s Justice Center (the “CJC”).
The mission of PCAU is to forge and guide a community commitment to prevent child abuse in all forms through education, services, and public awareness. PCAU provides prevention education to both students and adults. Its student presentations include child abuse prevention, bullying prevention, internet safety, and healthy relationships. Its adult presentations are geared towards adults working with children and the overall community. It also administers a sexual abuse prevention training program for parents and caregivers. All of PCAU’s education is evidence informed, age-based, and free of charge.
The CJC is an award-winning program that provides a comfortable, child-friendly atmosphere where children receive coordinated services during the child abuse investigative process. The legal process can be traumatic for children. How children are treated after their abuse comes to light is a key factor in their recovery. The program’s home-like facilities are designed to decrease any secondary trauma that could be caused by the criminal justice and child protection systems. The expert staff help break the cycle of abuse and empower victims to become survivors. The CJC’s yellow butterfly logo represents the delicate and beautiful nature of childhood, as well as the empowerment that comes with exercising your wings to fly. The program’s operations are administered by the Salt Lake County District Attorney, and, as a mandated private-public partnership, donations from the community are vital to support the program’s mission and purpose.
Wheels of Justice has partnered with Utah-based DNA Cycling, which has made its coveted BIO Fit jersey and Elite bib shorts (custom made in Italy) available to our members at a steeply discounted price to assist in our fund-raising efforts. The more kits we sell, the lower our production costs become, and the more money we can pass on to PCAU and the CJC. You can join Wheels of Justice simply by visiting our club page on Strava (https://www.strava.com/clubs/WheelsOfJustice). You can also find the club on the Strava app by tapping the Explore icon, selecting the “Clubs” tab and then searching “Wheels of Justice” in the “Find a club” field. You can order a kit until Saturday, April 21, 2018 by visiting https://store.dnacycling.com/collections/wheels-of-justice.
Come, rep our colors, and help us make a difference!
