My Nonprofit Reviews

I have had the pleasure of working with Chris and FC Public Media on two projects. Chris is a talented, generous and kind person and a joy to work with. Let me tell you a story that demonstrates these qualities.

Last summer we joined forces to provide a summer bike camp and video project for students from underserved populations. We had 12 students participate Monday – Thursday from 8:30 am – 3:30 pm for two weeks. He offered his studio as a meeting point and loaned out his cameras to these students. I was nervous about sending his beautiful cameras home with these new apprentices, yet he was confident they would respect his property and do great things. He was right. They came back the next day and for the next two weeks enthused and proud of the products they created. The end result was a 5-minute video of these kids’ bike riding and video production experiences and a beautiful representation of the growth and challenges throughout the camp. It wasn’t always easy though.

One day Chris decided to meet us at the Poudre river to help take video footage of the kids frolicking in the water. He gave his GoPro to Juan who tossed it to Fabian who didn’t catch it as we all watched it sink to the bottom of the river. I freaked. He stayed calm. The kids frantically tried diving to the bottom of the river to find the camera with no luck. Then a woman came to us with a basket full of goggles (divine intervention?) which she loaned to our kids who immediately were able to find and retrieve the camera. Chris always remained calm and was gentle with the kids who felt especially responsible for the drowned camera. This was his demeanor throughout the two-week camp that allowed the campers to thrive and explore their creativity.

Chris provided an atmosphere of trust and belief in these kids which allowed them to create some remarkable results. They internalized their experiences on the bike, behind the camera and in the production studio. They learned about photo and video composition, video production and they learned to see the beauty of the world around them through the lens of his very expensive cameras.

Thanks, Chris and FC Public Media

Dot Dickerson
Bike Fort Collins Director of Youth Programs
970.443.1592