Refurbished bicycles to be given to people in need of alternative transportation or to children
The nonprofit Friends of Osprey Junction Trailhead, in partnership with The Bicycle Factory, this week announced the launch of a Recycle-A-Bicycle Program.
The objective is to give away donated bicycles that have been collected by Friends of Osprey Junction Trailhead and refurbished by The Bicycle Factory volunteers, a news release explains.
“The recycled bicycles will be given to people in need of alternative transportation, or to children who don’t have a bicycle,” the release points out.
“The Bicycle Factory is an organization composed of volunteer bicycle mechanics and bicycle technicians,” the release says. Its workshop is located on the premises of the Salvation Army near downtown Sarasota, the release adds.
Friends of Osprey Junction Trailhead has developed a comprehensive outreach program that will solicit unused or malfunctioning bicycles from residents in Sarasota and Manatee counties, along with other neighboring communities, the release says. “The Recycle-A-Bicycle Program will be an on-going initiative.”
In addition to soliciting individual donations, Friends of Osprey Junction Trailhead is asking organizations and businesses to create bike donation campaigns with their staffs and employees. Friends of Osprey Junction Trailhead will work with organization leaders in developing those initiatives, the release notes.
Individuals wishing to donate bikes or bicycle parts to the program can arrange for them to be picked up by calling Ralph Monti, bicycle activities coordinator for Friends of Osprey Junction Trailhead, at 646-705-4148 or via email at ralphmonti@gmail.com.
Friends of Osprey Junction Trailhead, which is a chapter of Friends of Sarasota County Parks, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit registered in Florida. It is a volunteer organization “that supports, promotes, and enhances Osprey Junction Trailhead, a Sarasota County park adjacent to The Legacy Trail, the release explains. Visit the website at ojtfriends.com or email friends@ojtfriends.com.