Thursday, September 14, 2023, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Vista Field in Kennewick will be the host site for a FREE family-friendly e-bike expo. The expo offers a chance to comparison shop, learn about rules, regulations, and the various classifications of e-bikes from industry experts. You will learn more about how to be a responsible E-Bike rider.  You will also have a chance to register your bike for free as part of a stolen bike recovery system.  Local vendors will offer bikes for sale and provide demonstration models so people can ride different e-bikes in a closed loop on site. 

Food vendors include Rollin Ice Cream, Tumbleweeds Food Truck, Kettle Corn Factory, and Doggie Style Gourmet. Benton Franklin Health District is sponsoring a “Traffic Garden” to help young riders learn bike safety with riding tips and a kid-safe “practice route,” and free children’s helmets (while supplies last). Ben Franklin Transit will have a bus on display to showcase their improved bike racks, larger wheel receivers and easier loading. Guest speakers, and coupons for professional coaching will also be available. 

A valid driver’s license/identification is required for e-bike demos, and attendees are encouraged to bring their own bicycle helmet. In addition, participating minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

The E-Bike Expo will take place at Vista Field, 6600 West Deschutes Avenue, Kennewick, Washington near the intersection of Crosswind Boulevard and West Deschutes Avenue. Event parking is FREE and best accessed from West Deschutes Avenue.
​
Port of Kennewick, which owns Vista Field, is organizing the event in partnership with Bike Tri-Cities, Cora’s Bike Shop, Greenies, Pedego Electric Bikes, Scott Cycle & Sports, TREK, Wheelhouse Community Bike Shop, The League of American Bicyclists, Inland Empire Century Ride/Kiwanis, Ben Franklin Transit, Benton-Franklin Council of Governments, Benton County, Benton Franklin Health District, and Kennewick Police Department.

​Gesa, a community-focused credit union, announced it will donate a total of $50,000 as part of its continued partnership with Food Lifeline and Second Harvest this Hunger Action Month. During the month of September, all three organizations will work together to raise awareness about food insecurity and mobilize the public to take action on a devastating issue in the Northwest: hunger.
 
Gesa, as the presenting sponsor for this statewide effort, will donate $25,000 to each organization for a total of $50,000 in monetary contributions. Gesa will also host food drives at each of their branch locations and offer its team members and members various volunteer opportunities. This is the fourth year Gesa and the two organizations have partnered together.
 
“Gesa is proud to continue our partnership with Food Lifeline and Second Harvest this Hunger Action Month, as the vital work they do helps many people across the Northwest who face food insecurity,” said Don Miller, President and CEO of Gesa Credit Union. “The extent of hunger as an issue is often overlooked; in fact, it’s estimated that one in 11 people in Washington face it. We hope that through both our team’s and our members’ collective efforts, we can not only continue to raise awareness for the issue, but also expand upon the number of people and families in need that we help feed.”
 
Food Lifeline is a non-profit organization that distributes food to more than 350 food banks, shelters, and meal programs across western Washington, equating to 213,000 meals every day.
 
“Food Lifeline advocacy works to abolish the root causes of hunger and strengthen our public safety net,” said Aaron Czyzewski, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at Food Lifeline. “It's about changing and reforming the systems that enable and perpetuate hunger and food insecurity in western Washington by advancing a movement to end hunger. Because we know access to food as a basic human right improves access to the foundational promise of opportunity and prosperity that’s woven so tightly into our national ideals.”
 
Second Harvest is a non-profit organization that provides enough food to feed 55,000 people each week through 250 food pantries and meal sites across eastern Washington and north Idaho.
 
"When people are fed, futures are nourished," said Jason Clark, CEO of Second Harvest. "The good people at Gesa are dedicated to nourishing futures, and their support helps us do our part in providing the healthy food needed to do just that."
 
For more information about Food Lifeline, visit their website https://foodlifeline.org/. To learn more about Second Harvest, visit https://2-harvest.org/. For more information about Gesa Credit Union’s involvement in the community, visit https://www.gesa.com/community. 

​Edward Thomas and Dan Gaulke were recently appointed to the Board of Directors of Yakima Federal Savings and Loan Association. Mr. Thomas is currently serving as Director, Technical Services for Milne Fruit Products. Mr. Gaulke currently holds the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Yakima Federal.
 
Mr. Thomas currently lives in Prosser and is responsible for quality assurance, research & development and food regulatory compliance at three Milne facilities located in Prosser and Sunnyside Washington. He graduated from Washington State University in 1996. He is married and a father of five. He enjoys spending time with family, particularly in the great Pacific Northwest outdoors.

Mr. Gaulke has been with Yakima Federal for 33 years.  He joined the bank as a management trainee in 1990 after graduating from Washington State University. He has worked as an auditor, compliance officer and most recently, Chief Financial Officer. He is married, has two adult children and resides in Yakima.
 
Yakima Federal Savings and Loan was founded in Yakima in 1905.  The Association has ten branches located throughout Central Washington.