Bikes for Students

We recently received an e-mail from a woman named Jenny Leonard who’s undertaking a pretty cool-sounding project to help out students in rural South Africa. Read on for more info…

PORTLAND TO SHOWER SOUTH AFRICA WITH OUR BEST OFFERINGS: DONATED BIKES AND A LOT OF HEART

Portland, Oregon – “Jenny’s got the ability to tell a truly compelling story,” begins Brooke Hunter of Career Services at Reed College, “and the commitment to move past her lack of experience to get the money in the door.”

When Jenny Leonard was studying abroad in South Africa in 2008, she met Mercy, a 16 year old high school girl who walked for three hours one way, every day, to get to school each morning. While this is the stuff of evening cable telethons, it was all new to Jenny Leonard who pledged that she would send hundreds of bicycles to South Africa, no matter how much work it took, to alleviate the transportation burden for impoverished school children.

After returning from Africa and earning her BA from Reed College, Leonard immediately started working towards her goal. She was completely new to fund-raising, but started her own Portland chapter of Bicycles for Humanity, an organization that neatly dovetailed with her goal. Over the past year Jenny raised $9,000 for a 40 foot shipping container large enough to send 400 used bicycles to an organization in South Africa which will distribute the bikes to needy school children in rural areas.

Now that fund-raising for the shipping container is complete, Leonard will dive into stage 2: a city-wide bike collection day on April 24 during the City Repair Earth Day Celebration at the old Washington High School on SE 12 and Stark from 10am-4pm. Jenny hopes to get the 400 bicycles in one day.

Jenny will be collecting used (but in good condition) mountain bikes, cruisers, parts, tools, bike accessories, and monetary donations. All donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. Various prizes and treats await good-hearted donors along with the profound feeling of donating sustainable transport to those who need it most.

Contact:

Jennifer Leonard, Bicycles for Humanity 925-354-1616, jennymleonard@gmail.com

Jessica Glenn, MindBuck Media PR Services 503-998-8770, mindbuck@gmail.com

Candidate Forum – Next Thursday April 8th

Buckman Community Association Bi-Annual Candidate’s Forum

When: April 8th 2010, 7pm to 9pm

Where: Central Catholic High School Auditorium – 2401 SE Stark St.

PDX CONFIRMED CANDIDATES:

City Council Position #2 –
Spencer Burton
Jesse Cornett
Martha Perez
Dan Saltzman
Mary Volm

City Council Position #3 –
Jason Barbour
Walt Nichols
Tim Youker

Metro President –
Rex Burkholder
Bob Stacey

FORUM SCHEDULE

7:00 – 7:10 BCA Welcome, Announcements, Overview of Forum Format
7:10 – 8:00 Position #2 Forum
8:00 – 8:30 Position #3 Forum
8:30 – 8:55 Metro President Forum
8:55 – 9:00 BCA Closing and Thank You

FORUM FORMAT

Each Candidate will be allowed a 2 minute open statement at the beginning of their respective forum. Each Forum will consist of a minimum of 3 questions submitted that evening by audience members or prepared by the BCA board. Each candidates (within the same forum) will have the opportunity to answer the same question and will be allowed a 2 minute response. Questions addressing specific candidates will not be asked. Each Forum will be concluded with a 1 minute closing statement from each candidate We look forward to your upcoming participation Adam