Cyclists Send Bikes to Cuba
A motley crew, of assorted bikes, are heading off to Cuba as members of the Williams Lake Cycling Club and Red Shred’s participate in a “recycling” program.
The bikes have been donated by members of the public in Williams Lake to go through the Sanctuary Foundation, assisted by the Canadian International Development Agency, to a Third World Country.
The bike club over the years has been collecting old bikes and parts, which were repaired and put together and then given to kids without bikes, or kids whose bikes had been stolen, Mark Savard, of Red Shred’s said.
“Late in the summer we had more than 100, 10 and 12 speed road bikes, and one of my sales reps from Vancouver said he wanted to send bikes to a Third World country, where kids were dream candidates for these unused steeds,” Savard said.
“They came up with a U-Haul for a load and now they’re trying to do another northern sweep with a bigger truck. Then they’ll do an exchange program. Where kids can come here to work on the bikes so we’re not shipping junk. So the bikes will go to people that can use them in Cuba.” he said.
The Sanctuary Foundation has been working with CIDA for the last two years to implement a technology exchange with the Cuban Ministry of Education. The project is designed to create infrastructure for a bicycle industry. Bicycles are the main form of transportation in Cuba, Where there are 12 million people and about four million bikes on the road.
Williams Lake has more than 50 bikes ready for the next load, Savard said.