Saturday, April 12, 2008

April 12 Update

It's spring again and time to get your bicycles out and start riding again. Here in Whistler, it will still be a few weeks, the snow is still deep on the ground in the valley, but we like many across North America are thinking bicycles. Bicycles for Humanity teams are organizing, collecting, loading and sending bikes everywhere. Being a grassroots movement, we encourage teams and individuals to have fun and in their own special way make a difference not only in their community, but in a partner community in Africa. Bicycles for Humanity teams are organizing and growing everywhere and it is sometimes hard to know all that is going on. Collections tend to be in the spring or the fall. This update lists some of the spring activities and I'll try to get them in the order that they are happening. Hopefully if you live in one of the areas where we have chapters, you can help or send this to your friends in that region. Many of the other chapters send BEC's, Bicycle Empowerment Centres last fall and are organizing to do so again.

Here is a brief update, there is more information on the website under the chapter link

Colorado, Josh and the team in Denver have collected all the bikes and next weekend they will be loading the container. Josh can be reached at joshpace@sbcglobal.net or 415.717.2771

Vancouver, Scott and the students of Ridgeview School in North Vancouver will be collecting and loading a BEC, May 2/3. For more details, please contact Scott Slater at sslater@sd45.bc.ca or 604 981 1234 ext. 2911.

Whistler, Kelly and the team have a container half full. Pemberton Rotary, next weekend and the weekend after will be collecting bikes. In Whistler, the collection is May 10th in Function Junction. For more details, please contact Kelly at, bignesskdm@hotmail.com

Kelowna, this is the community where B4H started and it is a delight to see Keith and the team there organizing a collection for May 10th, Keith can be reached at, Kgermaine@okanagan.bc.ca

Thunder Bay, Steve and the Thunder Bay team have just loaded a container and it will be on it's way to Namibia shortly. Steve can be contacted at, sklassen@mac.com


Many more B4H teams are organizing for later this spring and in the fall. Being a part of a B4H team is fun, not only are you making a difference in Africa, but also in your own community and it is a great way to meet new people in your community. For more information on B4H chapters in other regions, please visit the B4H website or contact the following people

Ottawa, Seb, seb.oran@sympatico.ca
Toronto, Suzanne, smanvell@royallepage.ca
Cambridge, Brenda or Bob, bburch1@rogers.com
Guelph, Matt, sitka_44@hotmail.com
London, Annette, amaren623@rogers.com
Brampton, Terry, terry_owen@rogers.com
Regina, Jay, jayblackmore@gmail.com
Calgary, Walter, Walter.Rudolph@huskyenergy.ca
Edmonton, Tom, tom@bicycles-for-humanity.org
Vernon, Julie, juliemelan@hotmail.com
Santa Rosa, California, Dave, dave@santarosapt.com
Manchester, UK, David, ddarch@globalnet.co.uk


Thanks again to all that support the Bicycles for Humanity movement. if you are interested in getting involved please feel free to contact any of the B4H team for more information, to help out, donate or possibly start a chapter in your community. Nor sure who to contact, hopefully, I can help, I'm at pat@bicycles-for-humanity.org. For the projects we support in Namibia and to find out more about our grassroots movement, you can contact Michael at michael@benbikes.org.za

2 years ago, Bicycles for Humanity was one chapter, today, there are 16 chapters and another 10 in the early stages fo organizing. We are grassroots, we always will be, we link communities here and in Africa to help solve problems related to mobility for rural healthcare workers and women. We have no overhead and infrastructure other than our website and premium products to assist with fundraising efforts, prints, pins, shirts etc. The energies and the incredible skill sets within the B4H family is our strength and through the efforts of many mentoring new groups, teams sharing ideas, and friends of B4H reaching out and telling others, well, it just seems to keep growing and a lot of good flows everywhere.

Humanity Rocks

The B4H Team