M&T Bank Delivers Bikes for Refugee Kids

Dene Grabianowski, Jennifer Rizzo-Choi, and Ariel Jaimes

Recently, a volunteer team from M&T Bank delivered 22 bicycles to the International Institute of Buffalo (IIB), fulfilling the bank’s pledge of a total of 50 bikes to kids in the community. The institute is one of three community non-profits to receive the donations. Its portion will go to refugee children over the next few weeks. IIB Executive Director, Jennifer Rizzo-Choi, was on hand to accept the delivery.

In August, the International Institute of Buffalo accepted the pledge of bicycles on behalf of the non-profit community at a dedication ceremony in memory of Robert Wilmers, the former chairman and CEO of M&T Bank. Wilmers was an avid bike rider before his death in 2017. His family and the bank put his bike on permanent display at the Seneca One Tower in Buffalo.

Ariel “AJ” Jaimes

Coincidently, one of the M&T volunteers who delivered the bikes has an IIB connection. Ariel “AJ” Jaimes, an assistant vice president at the bank, learned English at the institute after he migrated to Buffalo from Acapulco, Mexico, 30 years ago.

To learn more about how to make in-kind donations to the International Insitute of Buffalo, go to the Donate page.