9th Annual Pedal Power Bike Drive this Saturday November 12 at Mikes Bike Shop

For the ninth year in a row, the Pedal Power team is asking folks to check their garage for any gently used bikes that they no longer need and to bring them to one of the 8 drop off locations across the north and northwest suburbs to be donated to the Pedal Power Bike Drive this Saturday November 12, 2016 from 9am-noon.

Nicole Basil, founder of Pedal Power and a junior at New Trier High School, was in third grade when her family was cleaning out their garage and had two bikes that she and her brother had out grown. They were in perfectly good working order and she did not want to put them to the curb. She knew there were children that didn’t have bikes and from that Pedal Power was born. With the help of her parents, Basil found a partner through the Chicago Public Schools.

Since 2008 over 2,200 bicycles have been collected by the Pedal Power team. The bikes are tuned up and delivered to Cesar Chavez Multicultural Academic Center, 4747 S. Marshfield Ave., Chicago. Later in November the bicycles are awarded to K-8th grade students as a reward for making the honor roll. This program has proven to be a huge incentive for the students at Cesar Chavez to do their absolute best and to work hard to make the honor roll as that the awarded two-wheeler is very often the first bike they have ever owned.

Donated bikes that need more work are delivered to the bicycle repair program at Northside Learning Center, 3730 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., a CPS high school that serves students with cognitive challenges.

Volunteers will be available to accept your donations at Mikes Bike Shop in Palatine, Glenview Cyclery in Glenview, George Garner Cyclery in Northbrook, the Home Depot in Evanston and St. Joan of Arc church and school in Evanston, McKenzie Elementary School in Wilmette, Green Bay Cycles in Winnetka and Kiddles Sports in Lake Forest. Donations are tax deductible.

For more information visit http://gopedalpower.com.