Chris Langdon, founder of Queensland based Echelon Sports recently decided to implement a simple idea to raise funds and awareness for World Bicycle Relief.
“We were scheduled to provide mechanical support for the recent 70.3 Ironman in Western Sydney,” Chris explained.
“We set up the day prior to the Ironman. Hundreds of the participants travel long distances to get there and often have small damage issues or other mechanical checks to be sorted out before the race.
“We were not charging any of them for our labour, but asked them to make a gold coin donation to World Bicycle Relief. Most put in gold coins but some of them chipped in $5 or $10 and we raised $208.
“I saw on World Bicycle Relief’s website that you can buy each purpose designed and built World Bicycle Relief bicycle for $US147 (A$193). An anonymous donor was also matching all donations dollar for dollar, so we donated the difference to make a total of US$735 (A$967).
That equals five bicycles, but with the matching funds will equal 10 bicycles.”
World Bicycle Relief was founded by F.K. Day and his wife Leah Missbach Day in 2005 in response the 2004 Indian Ocean Boxing Day Tsunami. As most Australians will remember, that disaster claimed the lives of about 250,000 people, mainly in Indonesia and left many more homeless.
FK Day and his brother Stan are the co-founders of SRAM. World Bicycle Relief is a stand-alone charity and a separate legal entity from SRAM, but takes advantage of many SRAM resources such as staff expertise and office facilities.
World Bicycle Relief does not accept donations of second hand bicycles because it has found it more effective to purpose design and build super heavy duty all steel ‘Buffalo Bicycles’ that can stand up to tough third world conditions and that can be built and repaired within those countries, providing further employment.
To date, World Bicycle Relief has built and distributed 321,820 Buffalo Bicycles to communities in third world countries across the globe.
“World Bicycle Relief is something that SRAM is passionate about,” Chris continued. At every international distributor meeting we are updated about what’s happening, so as an Australian distributor of SRAM, for me it was an easy decision to lend support.
“I want to help under privileged school kids get to school in Africa and other places where World Bicycle Relief is being rolled out.
“I’m sure we’ll do more in future,” Chris predicted. “It’s not hard to do.”
World Bicycle Relief, whose head office is in Chicago, USA, is currently in the process of setting up World Bicycle Relief Australia. In future this will allow Australians to donate through a local office, possibly with tax deductibility, subject to government approval of a currently pending application. Once this is in place, World Bicycle Relief Australia hopes to hire a dynamic Development Director to head up Australian fundraising activities.
We’ll run update stories regarding World Bicycle Relief Australia in the New Year, whenever there’s a significant development.
For more information about World Bicycle Relief, please visit www.worldbicyclerelief.org
