World Bicycle Day

Please join World Bicycle Relief, along with the United Nations, in celebrating the inaugural World Bicycle Day taking place on Sunday, June 3, 2018 - a designated annual day to celebrate and promote bicycle use around the world.

Formally adopted by the United Nations earlier this year, the resolution will be recognised with a special event at the UN General Assembly in New York City, including comments from WBR's CEO Dave Neiswander alongside several UN leaders and diplomats, cycling community advocates, athletes, and cycling officials.

World Bicycle Relief Australia is part of the global not-for-profit organisation that mobilises people in developing countries through the Power of Bicycles.  World Bicycle Relief (WBR) provides its recipients Buffalo Bicycles, which are purpose built for the rural terrain, sturdy, and easy to maintain. The representative cost of a Buffalo Bicycle is $AU195. A donation, in any amount, contributes to providing more bicycles to students, healthcare workers and entrepreneurs. WBR trains field mechanics and employs local bike assemblers, to ensure the program receives ongoing support once bikes are donated.

At World Bicycle Relief we strongly believe, as stated in the UN resolution, "the bicycle can serve as a tool for development and as a means not just of transportation but also of access to education and healthcare."

World Bicycle Relief also shares the vision for "the potential of the bicycle to contribute to the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda," as affirmed in the resolution.

"World Bicycle Relief believes the bicycle has the power to create sustainable economic and social change," said Neiswander. "The UN resolution and dedication to the bicycle as a tool for development will help amplify its positive impact and generate more transformative change across the world.

"We recognise and appreciate the perseverance of WBR Trailblazer, Dr. Leszek Sibilski, former member of the national Olympic team of Poland, global development thought leader and advocate, and his sociology students at Montgomery College, for being the catalysts to make World Bicycle Day occur.

"We also recognise and appreciate the leadership of the Turkmenistan Permanent Mission to the United Nations for sponsoring the adoption of World Bicycle Day by the UN General Assembly and achieving the consensus of 193 member states."

Leading into Sunday, June 3, several WBR field offices in Africa will host special events to celebrate World Bicycle Day, including open house gatherings for development organizations. Events will feature tours of the WBR facilities to see Buffalo Bicycles being assembled, and opportunities to learn more about WBR's programs and mission.

In 2017, World Bicycle Relief distributed over 54,000 new Buffalo Bicycles. The representative cost of each bicycle is $AUD195. Ahead of World Bicycle Day and end of financial year, World Bicycle Relief is putting the call out to all Australians to consider the basic transportation needs of communities of sub-Saharan Africa, and make a $195 donation to change lives.

For more information or to donate to World Bicycle Relief, visit https://worldbicyclerelief.org/en/ or http://audonate.worldbicyclerelief.org/