Rotarians Joan Samuels and Marilynn Vanderstaay sat sheltered from the cold wet day in the adjoining art gallery, handing out receipts to donors, while fellow Rotarian Ted Sancton spent a large part of the day picking up bicycles from as far away as Hampstead and Cote St. Luc.
And donors from Westmount, NDG and even La Salle drove in the pelting rain to deliver bicycles they knew would make life easier for the recipients.
At the site, three volunteers from Cyclo Nord Sud received the bicycles, evaluated them for tax receipts and then stripped them for shipping. When rain broke out, the doors of the Conservatory were generously opened to them for shelter.
On Monday, the collected bicycles were added to the 375 already in a ship container at the Port of Montreal, bound for El Salvador, where students will learn how to refurbish them. Then they will be distributed to families in areas where going for water or firewood can mean a walk of several kilometers.
For the Rotarians, the collection was so successful that they decided on the spot to host another one in the spring when Westmounters are starting to think about cycling and replacing their bikes.
For the volunteers at Cyclo Nord Sud, although it was the last official collection of the season, after a short winter break, their work continues. From April to November the warehouse at 7235 St. Urbain St. (at Jean Talon) is open to receive used bicycles. Go to www.cyclonordsud.org or phone 514-843-0077 or email info@cyclonordsud.org for more information. And like the Rotary Club, they also do pickups.
Photo: Bike collection 1
Photo: Bike collection 2
Rotarians collect 38 bikes for El Salvador
Rotarians collect 38 bikes for El Salvador
The Rotary Club of Westmount’s recent call for old, outgrown and unused bicycles was answered by bike owners last weekend, and by the end of Saturday’s collection at Victoria Hall, 38 secondhand bicycles had been picked up or delivered for shipment to El Salvador by Cyclo Nord Sud.
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