Fundraising for TRACTION at CEO Bike Build

Building a Bike with Purpose

The CEO Bike Build, which was held on Friday 8 September 2023, started five years ago as a fundraising initiative of TRACTION, an organisation that empowers young people to build their own positive futures.

At the event, business leaders from across Southeast Queensland teamed up with a TRACTION participant to assemble a bicycle within three hours.

TRACTION is all About Sparking Young People’s Potential

TRACTION provides evidence-based, hands-on learning and mentoring programs to help young people engage in education and develop the strength and abilities they need to succeed in life.

They collaborate with schools and other referral agencies to get young people learning ‘on the tools’, in workshops, alongside trained mentors.

Merlo has been supporting this worthy cause since 2018, sending along our Senior Leaders to participate in the BIKE Build event and providing coffee to keep all participants caffeinated.

Our Q-Grader Simon Gets On the Tools

During the Bike Build, the TRACTION participants were the leaders, guiding participants through the process, and in doing so demonstrating their learned skills and knowledge.

Merlo’s Head of Operations and our resident coffee Q-Grader, Simon Brooks, worked alongside TRACTION participant Logan, to build a bike. During the build, Logan guided Simon through the process, and in doing so, demonstrated the skills and knowledge he had gained.  The result was a great bike and a sense of success for both Simon and Logan.

On the day over $110,000 was raised, so another 46 young people have a guaranteed place in TRACTION’s nine-week Bike Build program. Through this program, young people experience a sense of success and build resilience, connection, and confidence to navigate a more positive future.  

The CEO Bike Build is a great example of how collaborations between business leaders and young people, have a profound impact on their lives. It is a testament to the importance of mentorship, skill-building, and support in empowering young people to shape their own positive futures.

Merlo is proud to be able to support an event and organisation that makes a significant difference in the lives of young people.