The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has funded a second At-Risk Teenager Lowrider Bike Club in Española, New Mexico. The club, active since last spring, lets teenagers build and modify bikes with help from local lowrider community mentors. This is part of the DEA’s Operation Engage, aimed at tackling drug issues through prevention. The first club was set up in Albuquerque.
The Española Lowrider Bike Club will display the teenagers’ bikes at an exhibition at the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art in Santa Fe on February 16. The bikes were assembled at the Española YMCA Teen Center. The teenagers were given a basic frame and the chance to work with skilled teachers and mentors. The DEA’s El Paso Division, covering New Mexico, funded the project.
Towanda R. Thorne-James, head of the DEA’s El Paso Division, praised the DEA’s role in funding the bike club. She highlighted the importance of community support for the program’s success. The funding from DEA’s Operation Engage has helped grow these clubs, as shown by the community interest in mentorship.