Hi Beth:
I think we need more information. knowledge of Location, geography, history of town, previous AT efforts, demographics and power structures will give us a better understanding of what you and the group is up against.
While it may present an opportunity for bicycling, just dumping 100 or so bikes without infrastructure for maintenance, repair, storage, and access control will quickly be a nuisance to the community.
I'm wondering if a larger conversation can happen with the townsfolk, before bikes are dropped in downtown. Maybe couch it as a leveraging tactic: "A benefactor/donor etc. is committing to establishing a community bike program, but they need some commitment from the community". This will take some work in researching for asks, what the community has done in the past, what recreational and economic opportunities there are, identifying allies, working with critical voices, etc.
It seems that an organizer (grassroots) or planner (an enthusiastic city or county employee) could have a decent case study to develop. This point person would ideally work with interested community members, and not just be a lone voice in a city council meeting.