July 10, 2014

Last year, Trek Bicycle and our favorite Nutcase non-profit World Bicycle Relief (WBR) raised $90,000 through the WRB Trek Match program to give 1,500 ‘purpose-designed’ bicycles to students and healthcare workers and entrepreneurs in Africa. And now Trek Match is back, through the month of July. Trek will match donations to WBR up to $50,000 this month, in the hopes of sending about 1,300 more bikes to African communities.

This year profressional peloton cyclist Jens Voigt, known for his pithy commentary and his good nature, is the celebrity “spokes-man” for the Trek Match and World Bicycle Relief program. Currently grinding his way toward a hoped-for victory in the Tour de France, Voigt is one of the most popular  cyclists in this year’s race. Go Jens!

And go ahead and donate! Just $134 provides a new bike for someone like Pauline (above), a student who used to walk an hour to school and an hour back each day, but now does each trip on her new wheels in just 15 minutes.

WBR is a partner in our latest Nutcase Unframed campaign, and WBR’s work providing custom-designed bikes to people who really need them makes a big difference to families and local economies.

It’s not just a bike, as WBR says – it’s an engine for economic and cultural empowerment. And what could be better than that, really.

(Jens Voigt photo via Guy Welch, flickr).