Spreading the Wealth Without Spending a Dime: Donate sports equipment and bicycles
Posted April 6th, 2009 at 11:15 am by KimHere’s another installment of our periodic feature on how to be generous, even during a recession.
It might be a casualty of a fitness resolution unkept, or maybe stuff outgrown by your kids, but if you have sports equipment gathering dust in your basement, you can donate it to charity.
Hauling everything to your local thrift store is always an option–those tend to be run by good causes. If you want to target a cause with a worldwide focus, SportsGift accepts donations of new or gently used sports equipment, which is sent to kids worldwide. Check out their long list of acceptable items.
You can also donate a worthy cause closer to home. Many Special Olympics chapters accept used sports equipment for their athletes. Consult your local organization for details.
If it’s specifically a bicycle that’s been kicking around in your garage, don’t let those wheels go to waste. Pedals for Progress accepts used bicycles, which are sent to developing countries. They also promote self-sustaining bicycle repair businesses. Skeptical about sending a bicycle? See their instructions.
If you want to give kids access to sports but don’t have any equipment lying around, sign up to host used athletic shoe drive. Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe Program turns used shoes into sports and playground surfaces. The program is expanding to meet increasing demands: see their website for details.
Posted in Avoiding Waste, Donate, Eating Well, Economy, Holidays, Living Green for Cheap, Recycle, Reuse | 
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Many organizations collect and recycle bicycles for youth programs, community cycling projects, and sending to developing cointries. It might not be necessary to ship your used bike out of town; there may be a group in your community that can use it. The International Bicycle Fund has lists of organizations that recycle bikes. Local cycling groups in your area may know of others nearby.
http://www.ibike.org/environment/recycling/index.htm
The group I know best is Bikes Not Bombs in Boston, MA. BNB collects used bikes for youth and international economic development programs. Urban kids can learn to repair a bike and then get to keep it. BNB works with partner organizations in developing countries to establish bike repair and maintenance shops. In Guatemala Maya Pedal converts used bikes into pedal-powered machines.
posted on April 21st, 2009 at 10:10 pmhttp://www.bikesnotbombs.org/