Lake Forest Park Rotary Collects Bikes for Africa

Part of the mission of Rotary International is to provide service to others. The Lake Forest Park Rotary accomplished just that with a bike drive during the Third Place Commons Farmers Market on September 25.

Coinciding with the Rotary's free pancake breakfast, celebrating the group's 25th Anniversary, the drive collected 50 bikes for the Seattle chapter of Bikes for Humanity.

"We met the founder of the local BFH chapter, Frank Finneran, at a recent weekly Rotary meeting," said Craig Sternagel, a member of the Lake Forest Park Rotary. "Frank had visited South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal region on a wildlife photo safari. He observed villagers walking many miles on their daily routines. Coincidentally, my daughter and I, as well as two other members of our club, had visited the same region for the same purpose, making the same observations."

Bikes for Humanity will ship the collected bikes to villages in that eastern region of South Africa, with the actual shipping container the bikes come in being modified and turned into a bike repair shop.

"It employs local people to put the bikes in working order and keep them operating, a new avenue for commerce," said Sternagel. "To have a bike, when used to walking twenty plus miles per day for basic necessities, is a dramatic life changer for recipients."

Not all bikes collected are practical for use in Africa. Bikes for Humanity also works with non-profits in the Seattle area to distribute bikes to local families in need.

Lake Forest Park Police Chief Dennis Peterson, a Rotarian himself, stored the bikes until their pick up. Peterson will also add the abandoned bikes collected by the police department to the Rotary's collection.

After the success of the first drive, the Rotary now plans on having bike collections at least a few times each year, with the next one expected sometime in early 2012. All donations are tax deductible.