Rotarians and friends gathered recently to assist a new to our club nonÂ-profit, Pedals for Progress (P4P). The organization’s mission is to empower sustainable economic development by recycling bicycles from the United States, and shipping them to marginalized people in the developing world.Stepping up to help recently, under the club leadership of Mac Neilon, were from left) Mark Sammarone, Mac, Gary Hewitt, Jeff Cantwell, Rotary friend Rick Waltz, P4P leader Alan Schultz, and new Rotarian, Tom Rowlands. This team worked on 43 bicycles that will be shipped to Guatemala.
P4P also recycles sewing machines, but bicycle collections are a major fund-raising activity for P4P. The bicycles provide basic transportation, and are supplements to school and community programs. The bicycles are sold in a shop, but those who cannot pay, work in the shop to cover the cost of buying a bicycle. At the same time, they learn a new skill! For some people, bicycles become trash haulers, for other people they are produce trucks, or taxis or farm machinery. Bicycles are many things to many people in developing countries, and recycling keeps them out of landfills!
