Local collection drive aims to find used bicycles a new home

Glen Ellyn residents who have a used bicycle in their basement or garage will soon have an opportunity to donate those bikes to a good cause.

Working Bikes, a 501(c)(3) Chicago area organization that strives to give old bikes a new home, will host a local collection drive at the Glen Ellyn Recycling Extravaganza on April 21 in conjunction with Earth Day.

A majority of the bicycles collected as part of the drive are refurbished and deployed either overseas or locally to communities in need. The others are sold at the Working Bikes store (2434 S. Western, Chicago), which helps fund both in-house repairs and expensive overseas shipments.

In addition to both adult and children's bikes in fixable condition, Working Bikes also accepts individual bike parts and accessories.

When: Saturday, April 21, 2018

Time: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Drop-off location: Glen Ellyn Public Library, 400 Duane Street Glen Ellyn, IL 60137

In areas plagued by poverty, high levels of unemployment and lack of reliable transportation, bicycles can truly make a positive difference by providing access to jobs, education, medical attention and other integral resources.

Since inception in 1999, Working Bikes has shipped more than 60,000 bicycles to communities in Africa and Central America and supplied 4,300 to domestic charitable organizations.

For those interested in donating, but unable to attend the collection event, Working Bikes collects bicycles year-round. Please visit www.workingbikes.org or call 773.657.8419 for a complete list of Chicagoland collection locations.