Students seek used bicycle donations for tsunami victims

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BY Chantall Van Raay

January 20, 2005

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/bikes_for_srilanka.jpg” caption=”Pictured at Wednesday’s rally, from left, are Noor Nizam; Shano Mohan, MSU president; a Cops for Kids representative; Pardeep Singh, MaCycle director; Peter George, McMaster President; Brian Mullan, Hamilton police chief; and Stan Keyes, former Hamilton West MP.”]In Sri Lanka, basic transportation is among the list of essential needs wiped out when a devastating tsunami hit last month. McMaster students hope to put Sri Lanka back in motion, by donating 500 used bicycles to survivors of the tragedy.

McMaster President Peter George, former Hamilton MP Stan Keyes, and Hamilton police chief Brian Mullan donated bikes at a rally held Wednesday in the CIBC Room of the McMaster University Student Centre. Their donations add to the 162 bikes already collected by MaCycle over the past two weeks.

The rally was part of a new initiative called Used Bicycle Project for Sri Lanka, led by McMaster teaching assistant and part-time physical plant employee Noor Nizam. The program is a joint effort involving the McMaster Students Union, which donated $2,200 to ship the bikes to Kinniya, Sri Lanka, the City of Hamilton, Hamilton Police Services and McMaster Security Services, which has also donated a number of used bikes to the cause.

“This is all about the outstanding efforts of our students,” said Peter George at the rally. “When the news of the tsunami first reached Hamilton, it was our students who were first off the mark. This project will get something tangible into the hands of the people who have lost everything. I want to congratulate the students who put together another innovative, outstanding and generous program for the victims of the tsunami disaster.”

Since the tragedy, McMaster students have donated nearly $50,000 towards tsunami relief. Last week, students presented a $37,295 cheque to the Red Cross, an amount matched by the federal government. According to The Silhouette, The MSU will donate an additional $16,595 to the Red Cross, which equals the donation of about $1 per student.

Bicycle donations can be dropped off at the MACycle CO-OP office, located in Wentworth House B115b. Used bikes will be picked up by the City of Hamilton to be repaired and refurbished before being shipped to Sri Lanka.

For more information visit the MACycle Web site.