CHICAGO - World Bicycle Relief (WBR) celebrates 15 years of impact with a series of activities, events, and the launch of a new program initiative: Mobilized Communities.
Since its beginnings in 2005, the global nonprofit has worked as a catalyst for change, helping vulnerable people conquer the challenge of distance, so they can achieve independence and thrive. World Bicycle Relief’s specially designed Buffalo Bicycles and comprehensive programs have proved to be life-changing for more than 525,000 students, health workers and entrepreneurs in 21 developing countries around the world.
“The events of the past year have made it clear that, more than ever, bicycles and community-led programming play a vital role in promoting sustainable change to address transportation needs,” says World Bicycle Relief CEO Dave Neiswander. “To commemorate our 15th anniversary, we are proud to launch Mobilized Communities, an innovative, holistic program that is the evolution of years of learnings.”
Mobilized Communities put local communities at the center of their own bicycle programming, which, paired with a market-based sustainable bicycle ecosystem, will empower these communities to improve their access to education, livelihoods, health and well-being—and help break the cycle of poverty for generations to come.
- World Bicycle Relief will launch a special 15th anniversary campaign, “Faces of Change,” in November to raise funds to support its efforts to empower people in need around the world with bicycles. The “Faces of Change” campaign runs through December 31, 2020.
- In a year that the cycling industry has seen such tremendous growth and bikes have held the spotlight, a group of US bike dealers are coming together around an initiative “From Our Village to Your Village.” Led by Alex Obriecht from Race Pace Bicycles and Chris Fortune, CEO of Saris, this initiative is an effort to engage customers to bring the cycling community together to provide reliable transportation for students, healthcare workers, and entrepreneurs in World Bicycle Relief’s programs. Founding support along with Race Pace Bicycles has been seen from David’s World Cycle, Jax Bicycles, Summit Bicycles, Cahaba Bicycles, Bike World Iowa, American Cycle and Fitness Stores, and Mack Cycles, helping fuel this effort and drive momentum.
Donate here: worldbicyclerelief.org/donate
About World Bicycle Relief
Founded in 2005, World Bicycle Relief mobilizes people through The Power of Bicycles®. World Bicycle Relief accomplishes its mission by distributing specially designed, high-quality bicycles through philanthropic and social enterprise programs. These purpose-designed bicycles are built to withstand the challenging terrain and conditions in rural, developing areas.
Entrepreneurs use bicycles to increase productivity and profits. Students attend class more regularly and their academic performances improve. And health workers visit more patients in less time, providing better, more consistent care. World Bicycle Relief also promotes local economies and long-term sustainability by assembling bicycles locally and training field mechanics to service the bicycles.
To date, World Bicycle Relief has delivered 527,820 bicycles and trained more than 2,400 field mechanics in Africa, Southeast Asia and South America. World Bicycle Relief is a registered nonprofit in the USA, Canada, U.K., Germany, Switzerland and Australia, and has assembly facilities in Colombia, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
For more information, please visit: worldbicyclerelief.org
