Anyone heard of this program?

They are bringing it to Chicago this year. Applicants have to write a 50 word essay to be eligable for the free bike.

In 2003, Bicycling traveled to Portland, Maine, and distributed 50 Trek hybrids to residents who’d won an essay contest asking why they deserved a free bike. We dubbed Portland “BikeTown,” and watched closely to see if cycling changed the lives the way we hoped it would. It was a big hit. Now, more than 3,000 bikes later, BikeTowns have been established in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, Washington, D.C. and Wisconsin.

Additionally, BikeTown Africa has provided 500 bikes to healthcare workers in Botswana, Senegal and South Africa.