Rie Sasaki’s love of biking and exercise led her to the Bike Co-op, a program of Parks and Recreation, in January 2018. Rie provides instruction and leadership for the city’s Earn a Bike program. Rie was nominated by Benedict Nagy. Nagy writes, “She serves as a mentor to our teen participants that sometimes come from an underprivileged background and she encourages participation in the program by female and minority students, because she can relate to these students in ways other instructors can’t.”
Rie is a professor at Columbia College and president of COMO Trail Association (COMOTA), a non-profit advocacy group for off-road trails in Columbia. Rie also volunteers with COMO Dirt Dames; a
mountain biking group for women in Columbia. In spite of her busy schedule Rie still finds time to volunteer. When asked why she finds service in her community important, Rie responds, “I think all of us can use a little help from our community, and I’m just doing my part. It makes where I live a little bit more cozy.”
Thanks to Rie Sasaki for assisting in the development of the Bike Co-op and for being a positive influence on the lives of young women in the program.