East End Improvement Corporation (EEIC) and Wells Fargo unveiled the first of seven BCycle “Art Stations” as part of a community program to connect residents and visitors to public art and businesses in East End Houston. The unveiling ceremony included the donation of 36 bicycles and helmets to East End students in coordination with local non-profit Wellness On Wheels (WOW). 

To design and hand-craft the seven BCycle stations, the EEIC will contract local artists and directly assign each station, benefiting the local art community. The goal is to complete all seven “Art Stations” before the end of March 2022.  

“This donation means I can serve more students dealing with mental health challenges through adventure therapy (cycling). With the new bikes, we have a piece of mind when riding,” said Rene Gonzalez, Executive Director of WOW. 

The project is funded by a $75,000 grant awarded by the Wells Fargo Hope, USA initiative. The campaign is designed to support local small businesses that need a helping hand through revitalizing and beautifying business districts in more than a dozen cities across the country ahead of the holiday season. Tom DeBesse, Well Fargo region bank president, says, “We are excited to bring this initiative to Houston and come together with our community partner to refresh and continue to beautify the East End District. We can all play an important role in driving our economic recovery, and we encourage everyone to join in giving hope a hand and patronize local small businesses in the area.”

According to Veronica Chapa Gorczynski, Executive Director of the East End Improvement Corporation and President of the East End District (EED), the beautification of the stations not only creates additional cultural assets in East End Houston, but also improves the efforts of the District to connect residents and visitors to over 3,000 small businesses in the area. 

The unveiling ceremony was attended by executives from Wells Fargo, BCycle, EaDo Bike Co, EEIC, EED, Houston City Councilmembers Karla Cisneros, Robert Gallegos, Sallie Alcorn, and U.S. Representative Sylvia Garcia.

About the East End Improvement Corporation

The East End Improvement Corporation 501(c)(3) is focused on improving the quality of life in East End Houston through the development of arts & cultural programming, community safety, and beautification projects.