October 10/06 9:08 am - Bicycles for Humanity Bike Drive (West Vancouver, B.C.)

Posted by Editor on 10/10/06
 

Bicycles for Humanity Bike Drive - West Vancouver, B.C.
Courtesy Philip Burgess

November 3, 4, 2006

Bicycles for Humanity, Ridgeview Elementary School, and Rockridge Secondary School, are excited to announce a novel partnership to collect unwanted and unused bicycles in West Vancouver, B.C. on November 3rd (3pm-7pm) & 4th (8 am - 4 pm).

Taking place on the grounds of West Vancouver's centrally located Ridgeview Elementary School, students, parents and community members are invited to donate their bicycles which will be loaded onto a 40 foot container and shipped directly to the TOV Orphanage and community centre, 400 km North of Windhoek, Namibia.

Like the majority of orphanages in Namibia, TOV is peopled by kids that have been orphaned by the HIV/AIDS pandemic that is raging across the subcontinent. Teachers are using the event as a teaching aid to link school goers from continent to continent around issues of access to education, transportation, health and HIV/AIDS. Innovative student/teacher fundraising initiatives and classes are planned.

Thousands of bicycles are discarded in the Lower Mainland every year and Bicycles for Humanity links donators of bikes to communities and organizations in Africa that are in dire need of affordable, reliable transportation. Under the Bicycles for Humanity model, the steel shipping container will remain in the community and become a Bicycle Empowerment Centre enabling the creation of a self contained bike shop where young people and women in particular can gain access to transportation - an extremely urgent requirement for school kids in rural areas, care givers, health workers and women who do the lions share of water collection, firewood gathering and bringing goods to market. Through our partners in Namibia, local people are trained in bike mechanics and the Bicycle Empowerment Centre will become a source of employment and revenue within the community.

All working bikes for people aged 12 and over are accepted. A major challenge for us is funding the shipment of bikes. Around 400 bikes fit in a container with each bike costing around $20 to ship. Cash donations will also be accepted, tax receipts will be issued and unique cards and artwork will be available for sale to offset the cost of shipping. Every $20 donated receives 12 Bicycles for Humanity greeting cards and a poster. A $100 donation earns cards, a poster and a beautiful limited edition print.

For more information, contact:

Philip Burgess: philipbee@gmail.com, (604) 872 2424, (604) 731-6666,
Scott Slater: sslater@sd45.bc.ca, Ridgeview Elementary School. (778) 688-2449
Tom Harding: tharding@sd45.bc.ca, Rockridge Secondary School.