Bicycles not always for recreational use;

Bicycles and bicyclists are increasingly in the forefront of charity events and are enjoying widespread success in raising funds for diverse causes.

The association between cycling and charity events makes sense in many ways. Cycling is viewed as green and active, providing participants the secondary benefits of carbon-free exercise and health improvements while helping a good cause.

Participation is available to everyone. Many who cycle can't participate in a run, hula-hoop-a-thon, hike, or other more strenuous activities. It's great for the cycling community, too, as you've seen in The Standard.

Worthwhile causes such as the Ride to Conquer Cancer or the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure Tour net positive local media coverage.

A commonality in many of these events, however, is that the bicycle is used to fundraise for non-cycling causes. In the Ride for Africycle 2.0, passing through Niagara July 23 and 24, the potential of the bicycle itself is the key. The ride will be led to Niagara by former St. Catharines resident Michael VanDerHerberg.

In our car-driven society, we take home visits by a public health nurse for granted. In business, free delivery is an accepted perk. If we want to visit friends or family, we hop in the car. What if your total enterprise and health were determined by how far you could walk in a day? This is the situation for millions of Africans, making an affordable bicycle life-altering.

Africycle, founded by Ted Webb of Uxbridge, began as the Malawi Bike Project. Malawi is a southeast African country where 90 per cent of the population works at subsistence agriculture, and the national GDP is $596 a person. On a 2004 building project in Malawi, Webb saw the impact bicycles could have in improving quality of life. He returned later that year with a seven-metre container of refurbished bicycles he distributed to community and trade workers.

By 2006, the vision of Africycle had formed and young friends Ben Voss and Mike Siddall joined. The Africycle founders understood there was more to be achieved than just distributing free bicycles and realized that without supporting services, the venture was not sustainable. They envisioned a bicycle shop that would recondition the donated bikes in Africa and sell them locally at fair market value. The Canadians would provide tools, parts and training so Malawians could maintain and repair the bikes and operate independently.

Provision was also made for the Malawi shop to provide subsidized bikes free of charge to the extremely poor.

Profits would stay in Malawi to fund community development -- initially a school for orphans and disabled children. Africycle provides wages for teacher salaries, supplies, and one meal a day for students.

The Africycle dream became reality when a 40-foot container with 450 used Canadian bikes arrived in Zomba, Malawi, in June 2007, accompanied by a similar container equipped as a workshop.

These containers, set seven metres apart on a concrete pad, will comprise the permanent workshop and warehouse for Africycle Malawi. Webb and others spent the summer of 2007 there, training a local administrator, shop manager, and mechanics.

VanDerHerberg and his crew arrive at Shalamar Lake Park in Queenston on the afternoon of July 23, six days into their nine-day fundraising ride around Lake Ontario. The crew will set up displays at Shalamar and they invite everyone to join them and learn about the project.

I asked VanDerHerberg, the fundraising co-ordinator for the ride, how Niagara cyclists might help. He replied that a major cost of the project was shipping the bike containers from Ontario to Malawi and pledges or donations to the ride would go directly to that expense.

When questioned about the need for bicycles and which bikes best suited the shop in Africa, he responded that sturdy mountain bikes and kid-sized bikes went quickly.

Our nearest drop-off site is The Freeway Salvation Army Church at 333 King St. East in Hamilton July 24 when VanDerHerberg and his crew arrive there from Niagara.

Details and contact information are on the sites www.africycle.org and www.rideforafricycle.com. Check it out. Your old bike would love to retire in Africa.

Just in: The Uxbridge Times-Journal named Africyle founder Ted Webb its citizen of the year. Not bad for a 22-year-old.