In a culmination of its 60th anniversary celebrations, NKBA | KBIS conducted a bike/walk event to support Habitat for Humanity of Lehigh Valley.
By Dianne M. Pogoda
A sun-drenched late summer day in the bucolic Lehigh Valley of eastern Pennsylvania provided the ideal setting for an NKBA | KBIS bike ride and walk-a-thon to raise funds for the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity. About 14 riders and 23 walkers, including staffers and friends, participated in the event, which capped two years marking the 60th anniversaries of the founding of NKBA in 1963 and the first KBIS trade show in 1964.
The “60 For 60” celebrations kicked off at KBIS 2023 and continued through the ride/walk on Sept. 16, 2024. Bikers had the option of a 60-mile, 30-mile, or 12-mile route, while walkers tackled a 5K (3.1 mile) path. After participants reunited at the finish line, the team enjoyed a lunch reception afterward.
NKBA | KBIS Global President and CEO Bill Darcy praised the riders, walkers and his staff for their efforts. “I thank you all for accepting the challenge, and I hope this inspires you to ride some more!” Further, he thanked Habitat for Humanity partnering on the event and introduced Gina Loicono, Community Engagement and Grants Manager for the Lehigh Valley HFH.
“To see a national organization have such local impact with Habitat for Humanity in the Lehigh Valley is so significant for us,” Loicono said. “To see your vibrancy and your energy coming to Bethlehem, PA, to help us build local, we are incredibly thankful for that.”
NKBA moved its national headquarters to Bethlehem from Hackettstown, NJ, and held a “Carry the Keys” 45-mile bike ride from the old building to the new one in November 2022.
Loicono noted that low- to moderate-income families are struggling with rent, which, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, is just over $1,500 for a two-bedroom apartment in Lehigh and Northampton Counties.
“With our program and the support of community partnerships like yours, we are able to provide sometimes three- or four-bedroom homes with two full baths, with a zero-percent interest mortgage,” she said. “Right now, we are building four homes in Bethlehem that will house 23 children.”
She added, “When we think of home, we think of where we gather together as families, to rest, to celebrate our joys and mourn in our sorrows. One of the places we do that in a home is a kitchen. Whether you’re donating to Habitat, partnering with our ReStore, donating to an affiliate, you are part of something that builds dreams, not just homes.”
In 2018, the association partnered with Warren County (NJ) Habitat for Humanity on a home in Harmony, NJ. NKBA donated the winning kitchen and bathroom designs from its annual Student Design Competition, along with hours of labor from its staff and volunteer time from celebrity designers and NKBA members Jennifer Bertrand, AKBD, and Chip Wade, AKBD, to help during construction.
Darcy said he intends to continue efforts to support the local community in the Lehigh Valley.
