Recycle Your Cycle Bike Drive

Pictured here is Ryan (right) with Aaron Nevdal (left) with Axletree at the Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser with their first donated bike.

Gear up for a bike drive! Ryan Loitz, a Life Scout with BSA Troop 16 in Sycamore and a Sycamore High School student, is currently working on his Eagle project, “Recycle Your Cycle: For a Wheelie Good Cause”. Do you have an old bike taking up space or has your child outgrown a bike? Then donate your gently used adult or youth bike to this Eagle Scout Project! A community Bike Drive is scheduled for Sunday, April 24 at Northern Rehab Physical Therapy Specialists 3266 Resource Parkway location in DeKalb (next to Resource Bank and across the street from the YMCA). Bikes may be dropped off any time between 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm at this location.

Ryan comments, “I wanted to do something to make our community a better place and help people in need, and found there is a transportation need to help people get to work and school. I also hope to encourage parents and children to spend time together riding bikes in their neighborhood, around town, and on trails.”

Bikes collected at this drive will be cleaned, repaired if needed using funds collected from donations and a recent Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser, then will be donated to Axletree, a non-profit organization that promotes cycling advocacy and community awareness. Together Ryan and Axletree will distribute bikes to people and families in need in the community, giving the freedom of transportation to those in need! Ryan explains, “I’m excited to work with Axletree to be able to provide a way to help people get where they need to be. My goal is to collect 50 bikes to donate. I also hope to have enough donation funds to purchase bike helmets and locks to provide along with the bikes.” Ryan is working with Blackhawk Moving and Storage that is graciously donating temporary storage for the bikes until the donation day in late spring.

Anyone interested in more information about this Eagle project, making a monetary contribution, or volunteering your time on this project, please contact Ryan Loitz at 815.991.1101 or via e-mail at RecycleYourCycle16@gmail.com. For more information about Axletree, please visit Rideaxletree.com.