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Fri Mar 28 - Wed Apr 9 Join the Mike's Bikes Africa Bike Drive Help Us Reach 400 Bikes by April 9th! Website

Description Mike's Bikes believes in the power of the bicycle. Not only for recreation, fitness, and competition, but as a sustainable vehicle that can promote freedom and change in the lives of people who need it most. Because of this belief, Mike's Bikes has undertaken two projects that will help to put bicycles directly into the hands of people in the developing African countries of Ghana and Botswana. Help us reach 400 bikes by April 9th! Our bike drive is a crucial part of our efforts to effect positive change through the power of the bicycle. Here is how you can help: Simply bring your donation bicycle to any Mike's Bikes location. The bike must be in reasonable working condition for us to accept it, as we do not have the resources available for repairing and reconditioning donation bikes. The store manager will enter your contact info in our database so that we can keep you up to date on the progress of the bike drive. Our container of 400 bikes is scheduled to sail for Africa in April of 2008. We request a modest donation in the amount of $15 at the time of bicycle drop-off to cover the cost of shipping the donated bike to Africa. We have negotiated a special rate from our shipping vendor, but if you multiply $15 by 400 bikes you can appreciate the size of our out-of-pocket costs for this endeavor. Any amount you are able to give will go directly to offsetting this cost. College Preparatory High School in Oakland will be helping us inspect and disassemble donation bikes and pack them into the shipping container as part of their Spring Semester Outreach Project. In the works is a plan to have some of their students travel to Africa to meet and receive the container and build up the bikes. What will happen to your bike once it reaches Africa? We are firm believers in the value of building a sustainable bicycle industry in developing areas of the country. Along the lines of the classic 'Teach a man to fish' proverb, our goal is not just to put a few hundred bikes into use, but to actually create a bicycle industry that can successfully support itself. One that can stand on its own two wheels. To that end, your bicycle will be given to individuals in Ghana and Botswana that are receiving our training and support in opening their own bicycle retail operations. These small shops will serve the communities around them by providing bikes at a very reasonable price, and also by providing repair and service that is an integral part of making the bike a practical means of everyday transportation. As the first wave of bikes are sold, the shops will generate revenue that they can use to bring in more bikes—thus progressively increasing the amount of bicycles available in their locales. These bikes are desperately needed in developing areas where they provide their riders access to work and to health care. By teaching people how to fish—or in this case import, sell, and service bicycles properly—our unique program will create a sustainable bicycle infrastructure network that will make a real and lasting impact on the local community. How it Works: Bring your donation bike (in reasonable working condition) to any Mike’s Bikes store. Make a $15 donation to cover our discounted shipping rate to get the donation bike over to Africa (optional). Leave your contact information with us for updates on your bike’s journey. We will disassemble and pack your bike into a shipping container, which will sail for Botswana in late April. We will travel to Botswana to unpack the container and assist with building the bikes and distributing them to our sister shop partner. This upstart bike shop in Botswana will sell the bikes at a reasonable price to local residents, and generate operating capital allowing it, in turn, to import more bikes. By establishing a steady supply chain of bikes—and a reputable dealer to sell, service, and repair them—you will have been instrumental in developing a sustainable source of bicycles for a community that has never had them. It will make a huge difference in the lives of people for decades to come.

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