Linfield’s Bike Co-Op has recently become sustainable in more ways than one. As one of the school’s leaders in sustainability efforts, the Bike Co-Op encourages the use of bicycles.

On April 13, the Bike Co-Op partnered with the community to donate old bikes and bike parts for the Community Connect Event in June. The event provides resources that impoverished and homeless would not normally have access to; however, the resources are free to the entire community. Everything provided is completely free and is donated by individuals or groups like the Bike Co-Op.

Sophomore Zane Carey who is the bike shop manager, was contacted by Ashlee Carlson of Linfield’s Office of Community Engagement and Service, who was helping with the Community Connect Event this June.

“It was great that this opportunity presented itself because I was in the process of looking for the best way to get rid of some bikes and parts that weren’t of any use to the co-op,” Carey said.

Carey said that bikes are especially valued in events like these because it can be some people’s only form of transportation, so the transaction ended up being incredibly helpful to both the co-op and to the community event.

“We were able to donate about two truck loads of bikes and parts to the man behind the whole project, Dean,” Carey said. “Dean has already refurbished over 100 bikes and has donated back into the community to similar events such as this one.”

As one of the fundamental values of the Bike Co-Op is sustainability, it was a perfect opportunity to promote and practice it through reusing their parts and sharing with the community.

“This opportunity was a great way for the Linfield Bike Co-Op to be involved in giving back to the community,” Carey said. “I couldn’t think of any better place I would like to see those parts and bikes to be donated.
We were able to free up some much needed space in the shop while knowing that our donations will really be making an impact in the community and in someone’s life”

Carey said that this was a great opportunity for the co-op to get in touch with community partners and push them to create similar projects in the future.

“It is nice to know now that if we are presented with any donations ourselves it is great to know of such a great way to give the bikes a second life,” Carey said. “I would like to see in the future Linfield and the co-op getting involved with this project or something similar.”

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Andra Kovacs/Senior reporter
Andra Kovacs can be reached at [email protected]