Many of our customers bring us bicycles that are no longer wanted. They may be old and the repairs will be very costly, or the bikes may just need a good home. For several years we have worked with the group Bikes for the World (formerly Pedals for Progress) that collects these and many other bicycles and sends them at low cost to community development programs assisting the poor in developing countries. We also collect a $10 fee that covers the handling and shipping costs incurred by Bikes for the World. The following is an extract from their mid-year 2005 report:
With your help, Bikes for the World has “hit the ground running”. We have developed an excellent relationship with our sponsor (Washington Area Bicyclist Association), established two highly-functional storage and shipping sites, completed an unprecedentedly successful spring and summer collection and shipping season, and established working relationships with local, regional, and international partners.
Spring-summer collection and shipping — Bikes for the World supported an unprecedented 47 collections with 42 community service organizations and jurisdictions beginning March 13 with REI and ending July 17 with the Herndon Friends Meeting. These generated the bulk of the bicycles collected during the season. In addition, BfW concluded an agreement with Montgomery County to pick-up usable bicycles discarded by County residents, receiving a $5/bike payment. In all, we appear to have received more than 3,700 bicycles to date.
Of these bikes, Bikes for the World has donated an unprecedented 3,180 bicycles (and additional parts and accessories) to eight organizations in eight countries.
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