May 20/09 13:24 pm - Bicycles for Humanity - Ottawa Bike Drive

Posted by Editoress on 05/20/09
 

Send your old bike on a new journey – Donate it to Bicycles for Humanity

Bicycles for Humanity (B4H) will be conducting a bike collection at 5 locations across Ottawa on Saturday, May 30th, 2009.

A 40ft shipping container packed with 350-400 donated bicycles will be shipped to Namibia, Africa to benefit two community-based groups in Rundu and Nkurenkuru. The bicycles will help improve access to healthcare, education, food, water and employment.

A bicycle, one of the simplest transport technologies, is affordable and can be maintained anywhere in the world with minimal tools and spare parts. Yet for the world's poorest people, living on $1 per day, even bicycles are beyond their reach. Meanwhile, in the western world we discard thousands of bicycles each year.  Simply put – unused bicycles in garages or basements can make an incredible difference to those in need of transportation - such bicycles represent a terrific opportunity to change the lives of those less fortunate.

B4H is looking for mountain bikes in working condition for adults and youths (20"+ wheels, or ages 10+). This year, the bikes will be delivered to rural communities, where there are no paved roads. As such, mountain bikes are most suitable for the terrain. Donations of bike tools, repair & patch kits, inner tubes, tires, helmets and gently used backpacks are also welcome. Donations to help with the transport costs of the bikes are appreciated. Please note that small children’s bikes, frames without wheels, and racing bikes with thin tires are not suitable for this project.

This year, five Ottawa Pontiac Buick GMC dealers have graciously offered their facilities as drop-off points for greater convenience to potential donors. “It gives us the opportunity to help out on this very worthwhile effort. It is truly a grassroots voluntary project which is changing the lives of some of the poorest people on this planet." says John May of Jack May Pontiac Buick GMC.

Once the bike drive is over, Kemptville Truck Centre will significantly contribute to the initiative by donating their services and equipment to transport the bikes to the B4H warehouse facility generously provided by Carp Self Storage.  The bikes will be prepared for transport and loaded into the container at the end of June.

On Saturday, May 30th, between 9am-12pm, donors are asked to bring their bikes to one of the following locations

Kanata: Turpin Pontiac Buick GMC, 200-2500 Palladium Drive

Barrhaven: Jack May Pontiac Buick GMC, 3788 Prince of Wales Drive

Ottawa: Surgenor Pontiac Buick GMC, 939 St. Laurent Blvd

Ottawa South: Donnelly Pontiac Buick GMC, 2492 Bank Street

Orleans: Marcel Belanger Pontiac Buick GMC, 1452 Youville Drive

B4H is grateful for the enthusiastic support from the many individuals and organizations who have donated funds, goods, facilities and services and to the volunteers who have given their time and energy towards this initiative.