Local charity Discovery Routes has collected, tuned up and given back over 850 used bicycles to North Bay and area residents since the popular ReCycle Bikes Program was first introduced in 2015.
A priority for Discovery Routes is to get more people to experience the local trails for health and well-being. "For some, a properly fitted bicycle in good working order can be a barrier to having the freedom to ride," says a news release.
This year, the program needs more than bicycles to keep it rolling at the level the community has come to expect.
"Many of the generously donated bicycles are in disrepair and require a lot of volunteer time and new parts to be made safe," says the release. "Cash donations are needed to help cover some program costs. Discovery Routes has a very dedicated and skilled group of volunteers that keep returning year after year but the program also needs new volunteers that are willing to shoulder some of the administrative needs of the program."
If you are interested in helping, finding out more, or making a donation, go to the Discovery Routes website.
The Recycle Bikes Program also relies on community partners like Laurentian Ski Hill and the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority to provide community space to tune-up bikes. Anyone with a bike to donate can drop it off Wednesday afternoons throughout May and June from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Laurentian Ski Hill Lower Lodge at 701-991 Ski Club Road.
Charitable receipts are issued for all cash donations and, in the amount of $25 for each bicycle in good repair that is donated.
