GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — At the beginning of May, Tony Hartz and a few friends decided to ride some scooters around their neighborhood. People took notice and wanted to join in and a few rides later, they had 50 people on rideshare scooters. From there, the Scoot Gang was born.
Hartz says the Scoot Gang is more than just goofing around. Yes, they’re having a lot of fun together, but he says when you’re riding on a scooter, you’re making a smart choice with how to spend your time.
“All I do is try to aim high, think positive and do anything I can do to stay busy," Hartz said. "Because if you busy you have less time to get into anything negative.”
Riding around with the Scooter Gang, they’re recognized at every turn with cheers and chants. They say if more young people would ride along, the city could be that much safer.
“Just come chill, you know, stop the violence," says Hartz. "Put the gun down and pick a scooter up.”
In the next few months, they plan to start collections and hand out care packages full of necessities to the unhoused neighbors they scoot by on their rides.
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