This Friday is the launch of Bike Week here in Halifax. Paul and Peter will be hosting Superfly your bike! at Bike Again at the Bloomfield Centre from 2-5pm on Friday. They’ve been busy picking up supplies and sewing together flags, which we’ll be screenprinting today at Inkstorm. There are a pile of events lined up for the following week, including a big Open Street Party around the Commons on Sunday, May 31st.
In Vancouver, Bike to Work week wrapped up May 11-17th, organized by the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition. Watch this video of their Share the Road Challenge to see how 7 out of 9 times, cyclists beat car drivers on their commute to work.
For posterity, here’s the beautiful event poster for this year’s challenge.
Thanks to everyone who came out to our Fundraiser BBQ at the Grad House and to the Bike Again Silent Auction the following day. Thanks to josée for coming over to make veggie burgers before hand (recipe for chick pea burgers here), Nate for his excellent BBQ-ing skills, Paul and Scott for welcoming folks at the door, Emily for helping with the BBQ and lemonade sale, Peter for leading the door prize draw and for loading up his bike trailer to haul all of our stuff…and everyone else for coming out and supporting Otesha and Bike Again. Thanks also to Video Difference who donated a $20 gift certificate as a door prize for our fundraiser.
Cambio Rino bike for auction at Bike Again's Silent Auction fundraiser outside the Bloomfield Centre, April 25, 2009, Halifax
The weather was great with lots of familiar smiling faces dropping by.
Game of Scrabble near the end of the day at Bike Again's Silent Auction fundraiser outside the Bloomfield Centre, April 25, 2009, Halifax
Michael Gibbs, a volunteer mechanic at Bike Again, has very kindly offered up one of his bicycle trailers to the cause! The trailer is built with ribs for carrying containers. The trailer can be shipped to any destination provided you cover the costs of shipping (from his previous shipment, Michael estimates this to be about $60 for coast to coast shipment). Pics will be posted soon, but here are some similar examples. Email me (shelby.tay@gmail.com) to place your bid – bidding closes on June 30th!
The current bid is $80.
Michael is planning on holding bike trailer workshops throughout the summer in Halifax to assist people in learning to make their very own. Email mgibbs@uvic.ca for more info or to sign up.
If you’d like to contribute and item to the online auction, please email me (shelby.tay@gmail.com)! – tax receipts can be issued for in-kind donations of goods valued at $20 or more.
Donations for the skillshare fundraising drive can be made online(credit card) through Canada Gives, by mail, or in person. Tax receipts can be issued for donations of $20 or more, and can also be issued for in-kind donations of goods.
Why fund raise this way?
This is about building community and supporting the collective genius -- it provides an opportunity to promote creativity and collaboration.
Inspired by John Freese's album promotion strategy, all of the times that I've shown up to friends houses and been fed, the spontaneous and non-spontaneous organizing, Bike Again and all of the dedicated volunteers, the Good Food Emporium and collective ownership enterprises, cooperatives, LETS, people who live beautifully rich lives with very small budgets, skip-a-thons, reduced work weeks, permaculture and potlucks.
