Vista Outdoor, one of the country’s largest gun manufacturers, has subsidiaries that include assault weapons and ammunitions manufacturers as well as a few large bike accessory brands. Until recently, Bike New York sourced helmets from one of these brands, Bell Helmets, for our bike build events and education programs. We also stocked Bell helmets at our Recycle-A-Bicycle Shop. Read a letter to Vista Outdoor from Ken Podziba, our CEO and President, or download a PDF below. 

 

Mr. Christopher T. Metz

CEO, Vista Outdoor

262 North University Avenue

Farmington, UT 84025

 

Dear Mr. Metz,

 

In light of the tragic event at Parkland—another in a long line of what we at Bike New York believe to be preventable tragic events—our organization will immediately cease all purchases of Bell Helmets for our education program and bike giveaways, and will source them elsewhere. Additionally, our Recycle-A-Bicycle Shop will no longer stock Bell helmets.

 

Bike New York’s mission is to transform lives and communities through bicycling; we do this primarily through a citywide bike education program that empowers kids and adults to ride bicycles safely and confidently, as well as through the mass-participation cycling events that we organize. We strive to achieve a vision of a vibrant, healthy, green world—and putting weapons capable of mass murder in the hands of as many people as possible has no place in that vision. We provide safe places for students to learn and New Yorkers to ride; as such, we can’t in good conscience continue to support organizations and companies that put profits ahead of safety.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

 

 

Ken Podziba

President & CEO