For the first in our series of video interviews with some of our favorite bike education volunteers, we spoke with Brooklyn schoolteacher Matthew Budd, who told us how he got involved with Bike New York, what he hopes to see more of on NYC streets, and why volunteering is an essential part of his life as a New Yorker.

We meet some truly interesting riders every year at the TD Five Boro Bike Tour, but it’d be hard to beat Maricar Marquez and her husband, Don Horvath, for sheer inspiration. Maricar was born deaf and suffers from Usher Syndrome, which has left her almost blind—but that hasn’t stopped her from finishing past Tours with the help of her husband who, for this interview, translated our questions and her answers using tactile sign language (a remarkable thing to watch). Their story reminded all of us here at Bike New York that our work not only empowers the students at our free bike...

Antonio A. Camacho runs a Washington Heights–based multimedia company and is the Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 729, which has, over the last few years, become one of our favorite Volunteer groups at the TD Five Boro Bike Tour Presented by REI. (Keep an eye out for them as they direct bike traffic along Vernon Boulevard in Queens!) Here's what Antonio had to say about why Boy Scouts make great Volunteers.