Toronto, ON // On the afternoon of December 22, in line at Pearson Airport three hours before their flight to Cuba, Jacqueline and Ralf Winter carried with them some very special sporting goods luggage. On their way to their Cuban holiday on the beach of Guardalavaca, Jacqueline and Ralf transported a used racing bike, destined for a high school cycling racing program in nearby Banes.

This particular bike is special because it is ‘Nueva bicicleta #100’, the hundredth refurbished racing bike that Jackson’s Point resident – and former Canadian national cycling team member – Jeff Reid has supplied as humanitarian aid to Cuban high school cycling racing programs in Banes, Varadero, Moa and Jaguay Grande, in just two years.

Since Jeff donated his own bike first, while cycling around on holiday in Cuba in December 2009, his personal ‘Bikes for Cuba’ vision has grown. In 2010, helpful Canadian tourists brought 30 bikes down for him. On December 22, 2011 – with the help of Jacqueline and Ralf – Jeff’s dream of one hundred racing bikes delivered to four Cuban communities was realized.

“One of the most heart-warming aspects of this project, is the ongoing generosity of the cyclists who donate the bikes, the parts, the helmets, shirts and shoes,” says Jeff, “and the willingness of so many Canadian tourists to help out. ‘I couldn’t have done it without them’ would be a huge understatement!”

“Jeff has made this so easy,” says Jacqueline Winter of her special 100th Bikes for Cuba cargo. “It’s the least we can do in return for the great hospitality Cubans show almost a million Canadian tourists every year now. And all the young people who will ride these bikes, will get to see that a bicycle really is a wonderful way to get around, especially in a place as beautiful and safe as Cuba.”

For more information, please visit: http://BikesforCuba.com

The Banes high school cycling racing program

Thanks to Jeff Reid and Canadians, from Banes

And… check out “Nueva bicicleta #90″, what a beauty!… Just ten more bikes for Cuba to go to reach 100 by Christmas!

Stay tuned!, and best regards,
Jeff Reid, Bikes for Cuba
416 937 0095

“Bikes for Cuba 2011… It was a very good year!”

A new 2011-2012 travel season is about to begin. Looking back over the past 12 months… what a year it was for Bikes for Cuba! In November of last year we were at just over 30 bikes delivered to Banes via Holguin by Canadian tourists. Now just 12 months later, it looks like we’re going to reach Jeff Reid’s goal of 100 donated used bikes to Banes (and new destinations: Moa, Varadero and Jaguey Grande!) by the end of December.

With 85 bikes shipped by mid October 2011, and at least five more on their way from Pearson to Holguin this November – there is just 10 to go to reach 100 Bikes for Cuba! Amazing to say the least.

Here’s a look back at the past year, and how everyone made it happen!

December 2010 – This time last year – heading into the holiday ‘giving’ season – Jeff Reid and Bikes for Cuba were guests on CBC Toronto’s Metro Morning, and local paper Snap featured a story on the Newmarket mechanics who help reassemble and fine tune the bikes for Jeff.

January 2011 – To kick the new year off right, the West Quebec Wheelers cycling club held an Ottawa ‘gear-raiser’, collecting and donating a van full of bikes, parts, shirts, pants and shoes to go with each rebuilt bike on its way to youths in eastern Cuba.

March – Winter came to a welcomed end back in Canada, with help from the Newmarket Eagles Cycling Club, and news of a great cycling performance in Cuba by the Banes high school racing team. Seven kids from the team entered a provincial competition and testing week in Holguin – completing the event in first place ahead all the other municipalities including Holguin! One of their young riders, Lazaro, was selected to attend ‘la EIDE’ in September, a special sports school for talented young Cuban athletes.

Bikes for Cuba was also invited to exhibit at the 2011 Toronto Bike Show, while local and national media coverage continued to carry Jeff Reid’s story farther and wider to Canadian tourists. The Toronto SUN, Lake Simcoe Living, Pedal Magazine, Canadian Cyclist and Get Out There magazine all showed strong support.

April – During a springtime trip to Guardalavaca, Jeff Reid was a welcomed visitor to the first ever Banes Bike Race through the streets of the rural town. Local teenagers competed by gender and age groups. Though Jeff likes to keep a low profile at these events, he was singled out and presented an Award of Thanks – “to all Canadian Tourists who have made Bikes for Cuba.”

July to October – Bikes for Cuba also made a big splash this summer, making it to page nine of the July issue of Canadian Living magazine!

November to December – To end a great year, and start another great one… the latest big news is the expansion of Bikes for Cuba to support three new high school cycling progams:  in Moa (southeast of  Banes), Varadero and Jaguey Grande  (south of Varadero).

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By December 31, 2011! – We expect to reach over 100 Bikes for Cuba. So stay tuned for more, and be sure to tell a friend – to tell a friend! The island is expecting one million Canadian visitors in 2012… Imagine if they all brought Bikes for Cuba!

Written by:
Donald Wiedman
Wiedman Communications: Inside, Outside & Online
647 669 0461
www.wiedmancommunications.com

Visit BikesforCuba.com for more on Bikes for Cuba