Looking forward to Thunder Bay

I can't wait until Thursday and a chance ot meet with the incredible team in Thunder Bay, who have been collecting, fixing and fundraising to send a BEC to Northern Namibia. Steve and the team there have done an incredible job and I can't wait to get there. I've altered my route and now plan on travelling through Duluth and heading across the Upper Penninsula of Michigan, crossing into Ontarion at Sault. St. Marie.

Steve will be meeting me in Duluth Thursday afternoon and I'll be returning to Duluth on Saturday morning. @ days off the bike, what a treat

pat

Stuck in Stanley, North Dakota

I've been on the road cycling for 2 weeks now and have had a lot of time to think and reflext on all the terrific work done by the various B4H groups across the country. it's truly inspiring to see what the teams in Thunder Bay and in Brampton at St, Barts church. I know Seb and Sandra in ottawa are having fun and Bob and the group in Cambridge are planning a number of fundraising events.

What is interesting is that each group is adding their own spin on it and all have the same purpose, that of providing mobility for health workers, women and familes in Africa. Together, with tools, parts and training, these BEC's, Bicycle Empowerment Centres are becoming community resources and mobility centres.

Habitat for Humanity builds houses for those that need shelter, Bicycles for Humanity, build mobility centres to help empower people on their path to a better life.

If yu are interested in starting a B4H chapter in your community or in volunteering and helping us spread the word, please let me know. i can be reached at pat@bicycles-for-humanity.org

thanks


Pat

Where do I begin

Normally I would write about the need for bikes in Africa and how to get more bike there. maybe it's a few glass's of wine, maybe it's relaxing at the end of a hard week, but wow, wow. Grassroots initiatives are hard, but also very rewarding, the buauty of this is, never known, never knowing what is going to happen, what surprises and what people will do.

Well, people are simply amazing and there is no end to the good one individual can do. I am in awe of what Steve and the terrific group of people in Thunder Bay have done in such a short time and the fun they are having. Seb and Sandra in Ottawa are exploring many paths and like Steve, i and many others will find their path and start thier own journey. In Namibia, Michael and Clarisse are starting on a journey together into marriage.

The wow comes from how rich my life has become as a result of meeting all of these terrific people and sharing their journey. Living in Kelowna or Whistler tends to make out lives smaller, but with a global community fo friends that together we share a common interest in humanity and taking small steps to help, well, wow is the only word I can think of.

Humanity does Rock

Pat

We need Help

The need for bicycles to assist caregivers who are working and supporting those with Aids in Africa is huge. We are trying to send 4 containers to Namibia this year and hopefully develop a template that will scale to other countries and communities globally. We like all small grassroots groups need your help in telling others about what we do. If you believe that a bicycle makes a difference and mobility is important, please add the www.bicycles-for-humanity.org domain under the signature on all of your emails. Thanks, Pat

Spring and time to ride across the country

Well, the snow is almost gone and it's time to go for a bike ride, a long ride. Whistler, British Columbia to Bar Harbour, Maine. The purpose of this ride is 3 fold, to bring attention ot the need for bicycles in Africa, to visit Rotary clubs and encourage them to get invovled and lastly, to hopefully help raise some funds to help cover the cost of shipping containers to Africa.

Details of the ride can be found at www.bicycles-for-humanity.org behind the like, Whistler Rotary, Humanity Rocks Ride.

Pat

Where do we bring our bikes?

Rode by bike today form Whistler to Pemberton and back. it was a beautiful day, warm weather, the white capped peaks all around and a real joy to be on a bike. When I got home, there were 4 messages from people asking where they can drop their bikes off. The calls came form every corner of Canada and the states. This year many groups are organizing bike collections in their own communities and as yet, we still do not know all the dates.

we do know that Vernon, B.C and Brampton , Ontario are scheduled for May, as are collections in Manchester, UK. ThunderBay , Ontario is June and Kelowna B.C. is planning on a fall collection. Vancouver Island, Ottawa and San Antonio Texas are just beginning ot think about collections and no dates are set as of yet.

What is interesting and exciting are the number of people coming forward and wanting to organize and send containers of bikes to Africa. If you are interested in organizing a conrtainer, help out or join our team, please email, pat@bicycles-for-humanity.org

Thanks


pat

Spring is just around the corner

For those of us living in the north, the snow is beginning to melt and many of us are pulling the old bikes out and getting ready to ride again. This year we are hoping to send 5 containers of bikes or BEC's to Namibia and one to Uganda this summer. Many communities are organizing bike collections and we at Bicycles for Humanity are doing all we can do support these groups. Organizing a BEC is fun for those involved here and very rewarding, knowing that each and every old bike will help greatly in Africa. We are encouraging groups, clubs, schools and individuals to get invovled, organize and send bikes ot Africa.

This year, B4H will provide every group interested on organizing a BEC, with all the posters, cards and limited edition prints they will need for ther fundraisinfg efforts, more at www.bicycles-for-humanity.org.

In addition, for those containers of bikes destined to support Aids workers and empowering women, B4H will donate $1000 towards your efforts. If you are interested in learning more, please contact me at, pat@bicycles-for-humanity.org


Thanks


Pat