The Kiwanis Club of Cochrane just launched its 'Bikes Recycling' program with help from some great partnerships.

Believing all kids deserve the right to own a bike, Ron Gosselin, President says they have decided this will be one of the Club's 'feature' projects. "We want to recycle bikes to make them available to youth who are disadvantaged so that every kid can enjoy biking."

The idea for creating the program comes from Calgary, which operates one very similarly. "Kiwanis Club in downtown Calgary has been doing this bike recycling for a long time. So far they have recycled roughly 11,000 bikes and distributed them to various agencies for people in need."

So far, Gosselin shares they have recycled four bicycles in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Cochrane and Area, and he is excited to watch this program grow. "We have approached other agencies as well, such as Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Bike Cochrane Society, and the Seniors for Kids Society. So far, everyone is very interested and looking forward to taking advantage of the program."

Thanks to the generosity of bike recycler, Geoff Pyke, all the donated bikes are inspected carefully. "When we get the bike we take a close look at it from a technical perspective to make sure they're fine in terms of the brakes, gears and all that good stuff. Then from Kiwanis, we make sure all the safety equipment that is required on the bike in terms of the flashers, bells and that sort of stuff, is supplied. We also make sure whoever receives the bike either has or we will provide a helmet to them."

Gosselin says the Cochrane Club is currently accepting bikes in good condition for all ages of kids up to teenagers.

With the Bikes Recycling program just getting underway, Gosselin can only estimate how many children will benefit from the Bikes Recycling program, "I wouldn't be surprised if we at least recycle something like twenty bikes a year."

So far, Bikes Recycling has recycled four tyke bikes, and Gosselin invites anyone who has a bike they would like to donate to the program to contact him at Kiwanis.Cochrane@gmail.com

With just starting up this year, Kiwanis Club of Cochrane is willing to help any youth in need. However, the goal is to have several bikes ready to go for next year. "We won't question it this year, but what we want to do is accumulate twenty or so bikes next year and do a call out to the various service organizations. That way, they can tell us how many and what type of bikes they want, and we can let them filter who gets them."