RANDOLPH — The Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority, in concert with non-profit Pedals for Progress, will collect used bicycles in reasonably good condition, plus used sewing machines in working order at a collection event set for Saturday, June 13. The event will run from 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. at the County College of Morris, Parking Lot #1, at 214 Center Grove Road.
Pedals for Progress collects thousands of bicycles and sewing machines annually and sends them to needy people in developing countries. Over the past 25 years, the group has collected more than 144,000 bikes, and collected more than 3,000 sewing machines in recent years.
The bikes are reconditioned by partner agencies and distributed at low cost to poor working adults, providing them with reliable transportation for commuting to work and school, transporting produce to markets, accessing health care and other essential services.
A $10.00 fee per bicycle is required to help defray the more than $30.00 in costs for shipping, reconditioning and distributing each bike. Bikes with bent or very rusty frames, disassembled bikes, bike parts and tricycles will not be accepted.
Bike helmets will be collected free of charge as will small hand tools such as wrenches for the overseas shops.
Working sewing machines, both electric and non-electric, also will be collected. There is a $10.00 fee for the sewing machines to help defray the cost of shipping them to qualified nonprofit partners to set up small cooperative clothing businesses around the world.
All cash and material donations are tax deductible, and a receipt will be available at the collection site.
For more information or directions, please call the MCMUA at (973) 285-8393, or click here.
Additional information about Pedals for Progress and its various overseas projects is available on its website, www.p4p.org.
