Bikes Not Bombs Mega Update

BNB has been busy!

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Register to ride!! Sunday, June 3rd is just around the corner and Bikes Not Bombs needs YOU to join hundreds of riders for Bikes Not Bombs’ biggest event and most important fundraiser of the year! Enjoy an amazing day of cycling while raising critical funds to support Bikes Not Bombs’ unique bicycle-based empowerment work in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and right here in Boston!

Choose from four scenic routes: a 15-mile ride that’s great for cyclists of all abilities, including families with children, a 25-mile ride that climbs into the Blue Hills, a 65-mile ride that’s perfect for avid cyclists that want a challenge, and a new 40-mile ride that’s filled with sweeping fields, babbling creeks, and shady groves. Choose the ride that’s right for you, ride at your own pace, and have fun! Detailed route maps are available online.

All four Bike-A-Thon rides start and end at the park in from of the Stony Brook T Station on the Orange Line, at Lamartine and Boylston Streets in Jamaica Plain. Rides are fully supported with food, mechanics, cue sheets, rest stops, and following vehicles. The finish line is the Green Roots Festival where you’ll receive a unique medal, refuel with a gourmet meal, and enjoy live music, and more! Riders also receive a limited edition 2012 Bikes Not Bombs t-shirt! Top individual fundraisers, teams, and youth are eligible for great prizes, like a refurbished bicycle from the BNB Bike Shop, gift certificates to all sorts of cool places, and more! Read more about the Green Roots Festival below.

There is a low registration fee of $20 for folks 18 and older and $10 for riders under 18. We have a low fundraising requirement of $150 for riders 18 and older, $100 for riders 11-17, and $50 for riders ages 3-10. Once you register, you’ll receive an email packet with a pledge sheet and more info and you’ll also be able to make a personal fundraising webpage, which makes it easy for people to sponsor you online.

Find out more and register to ride today! And help spread the word on facebook!

Want to support the Bike-A-Thon and BNB’s youth program graduates at the same time? Help the team of BNB youth meet our Bike-A-Thon fundraising goal by donating $5, $10, $20, or whatever you can! We have raised $1,675 so far, and only have 11 days to reach our fundraising goal of $3,333.Become part of the effort by making a donation online today!

We are BNB youth. We are proud to ride in the Bike-A-Thon and fundraise for this organization. Please consider making a small donation to help us reach our goal. Did you know that youth unemployment is at an all time high right now? Did you know that public transportation is getting more expensive and less convenient? Did you know that low-income neighborhoods have higher rates of childhood obesity and air pollution? Paints a pretty scary picture for Boston youth, doesn’t it? But here’s the good news: Bikes Not Bombs Youth Programs provide a safe space for youth during the after-school hours. BNB provides jobs and every single youth who completes a BNB program goes home with a bicycle – which is an affordable, safe and environmentally friendly mode of transportation. The best part? BNB programs are fun! Like, really, really fun. We are proof that these programs work, and we need your help to keep them going. Even the smallest donation can help one more young person earn a bike, one more teen get an after school job, or one more youth learn how to ride. Thank you! – Will, Evan, Jesus, Elijah, Jose, Roshawn, Kenny, Ryan, Patrick, Ronald, Mohamed, Corrina, Sarah, Fatuma, Stephane, Suldana and Abdul

(You can also support the BNB youth team by attending the cool youth-led events that are coming up – see info below!)

The Bikes Not Bombs Youth Bike-A-Thon team is putting the fun in fundraising with two awesome and delicious events!

On Friday, May 25, we’ll be hosting the Super Soaker Scooper ‘Stravaganza from 4-6 pm outside the Stonybrook T Station. Come on by for the most epic game of capture the flag you’ve ever seen and buy some delicious ice cream sundaes for just a couple bucks. If you come to play, be prepared to get wet!

Then, on June 2nd (the night before the Bike-A-Thon) come to the BNB Hub for the annual Carb-A-Thon from 5-8pm. Bring your bike for a quick and free mechanics check-up and while you wait, make a donation to chow down on some delicious carb-filled foods like pasta, multiple sauce options, garlic bread, and pizza, to carbo-load in preparation for the ride!

All proceeds from both events will go to help the BNB Youth Team reach our fundraising goal of $3,333!

Contact teen leader Kenny at 617-522-0222 x102 or youthprograms@bikesnotbombs.org for more information. You can also read more, RSVP, and help spread the word on Facebook!

If you can’t make it to these events, but still want to support the BNB Youth Team, you can donate online.

Celebrating its 5th year of fun and awareness on Sunday June 3rd, the Green Roots Festival is an outdoor celebration with a host of information tables by local social justice and environmental groups, food, live music, and interactive children’s activities, put on by Bikes Not Bombs! The Festival is free and open to the public and takes place in the park in front of the Stony Brook T Station in Jamaica Plain. Each year we continue to grow and expand and we welcome everyone to enjoy an afternoon in the park! And if you are a Bike-A-Thon rider, the Festival is your afterparty, so you should invite your friends and family to meet you there after your ride!

Paa Seck Diery returns to this year’s Green Roots Festival with a full band! Photo by Jasmine Laietmark

Ritmo en Acción bring Latin dance performance and a salsa lesson!

Performance Schedule

• 12:00 Melodeego – energetic funk rock, POWERED BY THE PEOPLE with their own bike-powered sound system!
• 12:45 Second Line Social Aid & Pleasure Society Brass Band – New Orleans style brass band jazz!
• 1:45 Ritmo en Acción – teen dance performances from Hyde Square Task Force, with a participatory salsa lesson!
• 2:45 Paa Seck Diery Band – music from Senegal, with traditional sabar drums, this year adding guitar bass and drumkit with Paa Seck’s vocals! (video)
• 3:45 Bloco Afro Brazil – all-drum samba giant dance party!
• 4:45 La Piñata – youth Latino dance troupe, from Spontaneous Celebrations!

Make sure to come out for the 12:00 Noon kickoff of this year’s festival and hear Melodeego perform music from the revolution that is powered by the people! This year Melodeego is providing their innovative bike-powered sound system for all the amplification at the Green Roots Festival (supplemented by the smaller BNB system built by Ben Todd of Stony Brook Fine Arts). After the BP oil spill, Melodeego decided they didn’t want to power their music with fossil fuels, and friend Sean Stevens designed a Bicycle Powered Sound System. Melodeego has brought their bike-powered show and clean energy message to Occupy camps from Vermont to DC and participated in the Tar Sands Action at the White House. You can support Melodeego’s current Kickstarter campaign for a new tour which includes building a bigger and better pedal- powered system and spreading this message across the country!

Then grab some Latino food from Amelia’s Catering, a veggie wrap from the Purple Carrot, or an all-fruit frozen treat from the Culinary Cruisers popsicle tricycle, and dance in the grass to Second Line’s New Orleans style jazz, get a salsa lesson from Ritmo En Acción, be dazzled by Paa Seck’s Senegalese music (this year with a full band), raise the roof (ok, the sky!) with Bloco AfroBrazil’s monster samba beats, and see La Piñata’s youth dance extravaganza. Short speeches about BNB programs and public transportation will be interspersed with the music.

EXHIBITORS: from Livable Streets to Mass Peace Action and Bootstrap Compost, a gallery of pedal-powered machines and cargo bikes, and much more, there will be lots to learn at Green Roots! If your group would like to exhibit, see the festival webpage for more info and contact Eric Supil,[email protected] or 617-522-0222 x108

FUN!: Tiny Bike Races, giant cardboard slides, facepainting, and more! 

Last year Dan & Dean volunteered to run the Tiny Bike Races activity together, AND they go their faces painted! Photo by Jasmine Laietmark.

These hungry riders need you to help prepare the food for their post-ride meal! Be a hero and help out in Newton before the event!

Come help out at our annual Bike-A-Thon and Green Roots Festival this year on June 3rd, with a rain date of June 24th. We need over one hundred volunteers to make this huge event happen! Sign up to volunteer and you could end up doing all sorts of fun stuff like: biking along the route to help riders, setting up tents and banners, supervising festival activities, and more! Note that you can sign up for June 3rd, or June 24th, or both — and we even have some tasks that you can help out with before the event too! Volunteers get special access to free food at the festival as well as a new 2012 Bikes Not Bombs shirt! Get your friends to sign up too and we’ll do our best to give you tasks that you can do together. Join the team!

(We especially need a health volunteer with EMT training or above to be at the 65 mile rest stop at the Food Project Farm – we have a ride for you – for this position only contact Eric directly at [email protected] or 617-522-0222 x108)

Volunteer before the event Making signs, making rider medals, sorting food for rest stops, and more! Come for any part of these times. RSVP to Jeremy at617-522-0222 x109 or [email protected]

• Wednesday May 30th, 7-10pm (as part of our regular volunteer night at the BNB Hub)
• Thursday May 31st, 7-9:30pm at the BNB Hub

Help prep food in Newton! Work with a professional chef, Brian Sway Using organic produce from a local farm, help Brian work his magic to make a delicious meal for the riders! This happens at Brian’s restaurant in Newton. We’d love you and a friend to sign up for a whole shift, but even if you can only do part of any of the following shifts, we need your help! Contact Jeremy at 617-522-0222 x109 or [email protected]

• Thursday May 31st, 4-10pm in Newton
• Friday June 1st, 4-10pm in Newton
• Saturday June 2nd, 4-10pm in Newton

In Apeguso, Ghana, a student watches the training …

Then learns hands-on …

And then she rides!
(All photos by Jason Finch of VBP.)

Bikes Not Bombs will ship our next container to Village Bicycle Project in Ghana! Please join us on Saturday June 16th for the loading at our warehouse in Dorchester – we will start at 10am and will finish around 5pm – come for any part of this time. Breakfast, coffee and lunch will be provided. (Equal Exchange coffee is generously donated by City Feed and Supply.)

Join us at: Bikes Not Bombs Warehouse
c/o Boston ReStore, Inc.
10 Harvard Street
Dorchester, MA 02124

More info and directions to the warehouse online

Village Bicycle Project (VBP) goes to the most rural areas of Ghana and organizes “village workshops” at which people can receive training in bicycle maintenance and purchase a bicycle at half the market rate – making the bikes accessible to lower-income people who will rely on them as a primary means of transport. VBP also provides advanced mechanics training and tools to local mechanics. VBP is expanding and has hired a full-time Program Coordinator based in West Africa to coordinate VBP’s work in Ghana and Sierra Leone! Check out these photos from a recent VBP workshop in the village of Apeguso, Ghana, taken by Jason Finch, Program Coordinator for VBP in Ghana.

(Note that we had announced that last month’s shipment would be going to the Village Bicycle Project in Ghana, but they asked us to adjust the plan, so we shipped for the first time to VBP’s new project in Sierra Leone!)

Photo by Omar Bhimji

The bikes arrived in April, the workshop has been constructed, the parts and tools are being organized and the training of the Village Health Workers has begun! Omar Bhimji, BNB Mechanic Fieldworker in Uganda, is training 25 Village Health Workers in advanced bicycle mechanics over the next 6 weeks, and is working with the leadership of the Amuru Village Health Worker Association to establish the project management systems for long-term sustainability. Over the next 4 months, 300 bicycles will be adjusted, overhauled and distributed to the active Village Health Workers in Amuru, who will also be trained in bicycle maintenance and basic repair, to support them to more effectively and efficiently provide health services to people in rural areas.

Here is a write-up from Omar about the container un-loading in Amuru:

“There are bikes on the ground in Uganda! And in the rafters. And everywhere in between.

On Wednesday, April 25th, after 5 months at sea, in freight yards and on the road, the container containing all of the bicycles, spare parts and tools needed for Bikes Not Bombs project in Amuru, Uganda arrived at its final destination: Lacor Health Centre III Amuru.

Word that the container was in-country/on it’s way/almost here had been spreading throughout the community. All week, volunteers from the Amuru Village Health Team (VHT) had been stopping by on their way to or from their gardens, asking for news or hoping to catch a glimpse of the elusive box. When it finally arrived, there was a burst of excitement and energy and then… more waiting. The container sat, sealed and silent, baking in the sun in the Health Centre’s courtyard; the final piece of the puzzle was still missing…” Read more online!

Some of the Ability Bikes coop members with David Branigan, BNB’s International Programs Director, in April 2012.

Ability Bikes Cooperative is a micro-enterprise bike shop owned and operated by physically-challenged people in Koforidua, Ghana. Bikes Not Bombs helped establish Ability Bikes in 2008, and since then the organization has continued to grow and is now poised for expansion. Ability Bikes is now requesting support to develop their own website to improve their communications and outreach locally and internationally. BNB is looking for a volunteer with skills in web design and development to help create an effective website for Ability Bikes. Contact David Branigan, International Programs Director for more information: [email protected] or 617-522-0222 x103.

Intel Mac Donations Wanted

Have a Mac that you’re no longer using? Donate it to BNB and alleviate the headaches that many of our staff face when trying to use current software with out-dated hardware! To arrange a donation, contact Sean Madsen, our IT manager at [email protected] or 617-522-0222 x111. As long as your Mac is Intel based, we want it! If you’re not sure, call Sean and he’ll help you figure it out. If you are sure that it’s Intel, then feel free to bring it to either of our locations or any of our upcoming bike drives. If you live close to JP, we may even be able to come pick it up!

A bike drive is an event, often organized by a volunteer, to collect bicycles for Bikes Not Bombs. Large drives will sometime bring in over 200 bikes! These drives help us extend our network of bike collection beyond our two locations in Jamaica Plain. If you have a bike to donate, you can always bring it to Jamaica Plain, but if you live further away, then hopefully you’ll be able to find a bike drive that is closer.

Some upcoming drives:

• Stow, MA on Sat, May 26th
• Lexington, MA on Sat, May 26th
• Northampton, MA on Sat, Jun 2nd
• Carlisle, MA on Sat, Jun 16th
• Beverly, MA on Sun, Jun 17th

Full info on these and more bike drives online.

Want to help bring Bikes Not Bombs’ bike collection to your town? We’d love to have your help toorganize a bike drive!

Here at the shop, we’ve been busy getting your bikes ready for the summer! While we’ve been busy with repairs, we are still able to schedule most repairs just a few days out. Our same-day Wednesday repairs are a great option for those of you that need your bike almost everyday – ask us for more info if you have questions!

We have another Free Flat Fixing Clinic coming up on Tuesday May 29th from 8-9pm. You’ll learn the basics of flat repair, including removing and reinstalling tires as well as patching tubes. We’ll even have wheels for you to use! No need to RSVP, just show up!

All of our new bikes have arrived and are on the floor ready for you to take them home. To supplement our fine selection of quality refurbished bikes, we’ve started to carry some new single speed, three speed, and hybrid bikes. Come check out the Bianchi Cortina and Cortina Dama, Bianchi Torino and Torino Dama, Linus Roadster Classic, Roadster Sport and Mixte 3. As always, we also have the ever-popular Surly Cross-check and Bianchi Volpe in stock. Come test ride today!

Photo by Wayne Chinnock

Bikes Not Bombs’ flagship Youth Program, Earn-A-Bike, is one of a number of environmental projects up for voting on Good Maker, an environmentally-based grant-making website. The winning project will receive a grant of $2,000. Please vote for Earn-A-Bike! It just takes a minute!

Photo by Wayne Chinnock

Enrolling for Summer Youth Programs Earn-A-Bike Session #1: July 4, 2012 – July 20, 2012
Application Deadline: June 27, 2012

Earn-A-Bike Session #2: July 25, 2012 – August 12, 2012
Application Deadline: July 18, 2012

Bikes Not Bombs is currently enrolling applicants for the Summer 2012 sessions of the Earn-A-BikeProgram. In the program you’ll choose a bike in the beginning and learn the skills to not only build it up, but maintain it as well. At the end of the program, once the bike is built, it is yours to take home! Additionally, we go on bike adventures to explore some of the fascinating places Boston has to offer, and look into various environmental awareness topics.

There are a limited number of spots available. Applicants are chosen based on application date, and the applicant’s availability and willingness to commit. To qualify for enrollment, BOTH the application(filled out) and payment (cash, check or money order) need to be submitted. If you (student) are not accepted into reason, you will be notified and your program fee will be returned.

If you have any questions please contact Elijah Evans, Director of Youth Programs, at 617-522-0222 x101 or email [email protected]

Applications are available online. Mail or deliver the application & fee to: Bikes Not Bombs, 284 Amory Street Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

Photo by Howard Kang

Well deserved and long overdue, this month’s Youth Employee of the Month is Corrina Roche-Cross. Corrina lives BNB’s mission every day, biking to and from school and work, and taking care of the world around her. She is the ultimate team player, and there’s no chore, task or errand too small or annoying for her to take on. Corrina never complains, never slacks off, and never misses an opportunity to learn a new skill. Corrina makes young people feel welcome at BNB and Chain Reaction, and is a really thoughtful and giving co-worker. Congrats to Corrina – Way to go!

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Bikes Not Bombs 2012 Bike-A-Thon Registration Now Open

Registration for Bikes Not Bombs’ 2012 Bike-A-Thon is now open!!

(Photo by Wayne Chinnock)

Register now for Bikes Not Bombs’ biggest and most exciting event of the year! Our 25th annual Bike-A-Thon will be Sunday, June 3rd, 2012. (Rain date would be Sunday, June 24th.) Join hundreds of riders for an amazing day of cycling and fun while raising critical funds to support Bikes Not Bombs work in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and right here in Boston. Each year we have riders of all ages and skill-levels and every rider makes a difference! We’ll have four scenic routes to choose from: 15 miles, 25 miles, 65 miles, and a 40-mile route that’s new for 2012!

Sign up today to take advantage of our early registration special! We’re offering half price early registration again this year, which means if you sign up to ride during the month of March, it’s only $10 for adults and $5 for youth!

Be sure to stop by our event website, Hub, or Bike Shop to register to ride and find out more about Bike-A-Thon 2012!

Also, you can RSVP to the Bike-A-Thon Facebook event, share it on your wall, and invite your friends to join in the fun!

Read more, and Register to ride!

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Bike-A-Thon Postponed Until June 26th, Still Time To Sign Up!

Rain and thunderstorms forced the Bike-A-Thon to be moved to the raindate of June 26. This means there is still time to register, fundraise, and ride!

Go here to find out more: http://bikesnotbombs.org/bike-a-thon/2011

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Bikes Not Bombs Annual Bike-a-Thon

Its that time of year again, the time of year when there are a million sweet bike events going on, the Bike-a-Thon is an annual favorite, check it out!

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Event Description:

Registration now open. CALLING ALL BIKE RIDERS! Ride with Bikes Not Bombs to support unique bicycle-based social justice work, through youth programs in Boston and the donation of over 5,000 bicycles annually to Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Choose from three scenic rides: 15, 25, or 65 miles. Rides start and end in Jamaica Plain on Sunday June 12th. Pre-registration is required. Register on our website – www.bikesnotbombs.org – or call 617-522-0222. The afterparty is the Green Roots Festival, also open to the public.

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Bikes Not Bombs Bike-A-Thon This Sunday!

Bikes Not Bombs presents the 3rd annual GREEN ROOTS FESTIVAL!
Sunday June 20th – Noon to 5:30pm
In the park at the Stony Brook T, Boylston and Lamartine streets, Jamaica Plain

See the full schedule and info at www.bikesnotbombs.org/greenroots

MUSIC & SPEAKERS!
FOOD!
Enviro & Social Justice EXHIBITORS!
INTERACTIVE TRANSIT STREET!
FATHER’S DAY!
KIDS ACTIVITIES!
BIKE GEAR RAFFLE!
FREE YOGA!
PEDAL POWER!
BIKE-A-THON!

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