BBQ & Brew 2025: Celebrating 15 Years of Bearings Bike Works

We’re still feeling the excitement from Sunday night! Our annual BBQ & Brew brought together friends, families, and supporters to celebrate 15 incredible years of Bearings Bike Works — and what a night it was.

Thanks to the generosity of our amazing community, we raised just over $300,000 to support our youth development programs and continue empowering students through bikes, skills, and opportunity.

Looking Back on 15 Years of Bearings

Co-founders Tim and Becky O’Mara shared heartfelt reflections on Bearings’ journey — from the earliest days in Adair Park, where they and neighborhood kids “actually ran out of trash to pick up,” to the thriving community hub it’s become today.

They spoke about how Bearings’ programs have evolved over time — from Skills for Life, our after-school program, to Frameworks, our career accelerator, and our growing Youth Cycling programs and mountain bike teams. Each program continues to open doors for students to learn, grow, and discover what’s possible.

Stories That Inspire

One of the night’s most powerful moments came during our Parent Panel, where families shared stories about the impact Bearings has had on their children’s lives. Parents talked about their kids’ confidence, new friendships, and how much they’ve grown through the community they’ve found here. One mom shared that her two sons, once shy and reserved, now have Bearings friends calling and texting to hang out outside of program hours.

These stories are a reminder of why we do what we do — and why your support matters.

A Night to Remember

Guests enjoyed live music from Matt Jackson, delicious BBQ from Hog Pit BBQ, and refreshing brews from Line Creek Brewing. The energy in the room was electric — a true reflection of the heart and generosity of our community.

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What’s Next: Tour the New Bike Shop

This year, we also shared an exciting update about our new BeltLine-facing bike shop, which will be nearly three times the size of our current space. The expansion will allow us to serve more customers, create more youth job opportunities, and welcome even more of the community into our mission.

We’d love for you to come see it for yourself!
👉 Join us Thursday, December 4 at noon for a special tour of our new shop and a behind-the-scenes look at our programs in action.

💛 Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate, support, and believe in Bearings. Here’s to 15 years of impact — and to the road ahead!