Over 100 bikes Collected at the Pedals for Progress Bike Drive
On behalf of the West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance we would like to thank everyone for donating to the Pedals for Progress Bike Drive at the West Windsor Community Farmers’ Market at the Princeton Junction Train Station yesterday morning. We collected 105 bicycles (and one portable sewing machine too) along with $1,082 to fund shipment to their destination in Guatemala.
Every year, affluent Americans buy 22 million new bicycles and discard millions of old ones, abandoning many more unused in basements, sheds, and garages; most end-up in our already overburdened landfills. Meanwhile, less fortunate people overseas need cheap, non-polluting transportation to access health care, jobs, markets, and schools.
Pedals for Progress, a New Jersey-based nonprofit, works to foster environmentally sound transportation policies that encourage widespread use of bicycles worldwide along with raising the North American public’s awareness of and providing a channel for responding to the transportation needs of the poor in developing countries. To date PfP has received, processed and donated close to 99,000 bicycles, 500 used sewing machines and $8 million in new spare parts to partner charities in 28 countries.
We would like to also thank our volunteers for donating their time and for their hard work in collecting, preparing and loading the bikes for shipment, including students Mira Bhatia, Sabina Carlson, Mary Conlon, Libby Engel, Gretchen Kieling, Haena Lee, Liz Perez, Roman Soiko, and Nick Wuensch; and adults: Samita Bhatia, Meg and Guiliano Chicco, Steve Decter, Dan Gerstenhaber, Daryl McMillan, Alison Miller, Chris Scherer, and PfP founder Dave Schweidenback. Dave was really great, demonstrating that his comittment for his organization is from bottom to top, by driving and packing the truck, and spending time sharing his stories about his travels to Africa and Central America and we all got a better idea of how the bikes make their way to a "second life" around the world.
We are also grateful to the West Windsor Community Farmers’ Market board members Mireille Delman and Beth Feehan for supporting Pedals for Progress’ mission by hosting the drive at the market again this year and for their cooperation in providing us with such an ideal space to sponsor this event for the community.
If anyone wanted to donate a bicycle but was not able to that day, please visit the Pedals for Progress Web site to locate upcoming collections sites and dates around the state, or we will be happy to accept it next year when we organize a collection again. To find out how you can help the West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance and our advocacy and efforts for better bike and pedestrian access, mobility and safety in West Windsor and our neighboring communities, and to find out how you can get involved, please go to our Web site.
Thanks again,
Ken Carlson, President, West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance
Susan Conlon, 2nd Vice-President, West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance