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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2015-08-26, Page 3Wednesday, August 26, 2015 • Huron Expositor 3 Seaforth Lions Club sends 49 bikes to South Africa According to a report made in 2011 by Statistics South Africa, 10.2 million people were living in poverty in the country. Shaun Gregory Huron Expositor In South Africa making it to a destination can be a dif- ficult task, especially if you don't have a mode of trans- portation. Thanks to the Sea - forth Lions Club that pickle has been sorted out for some people with a fresh set of wheels. Last week the Seaforth Lions Club donated 49 pedal bikes to the people of Cape Town, South Africa and the entire organization in Ontario gave 497 bicycles in total. John Snell, secretary for the Club specified that his organization was projected to contribute 10 bikes, sub- sequently the number grew to five times more than expected because of social media. "There are so many of these things that are just sit- ting in peoples storage sheds or garages and not being used, people don't know what to do with them. This benefits some of these indi- viduals as well they know that these bikes are going to be put to a good use," he said. According to a report made in 2011 by Statistics South Africa, 10.2 million people were living in poverty in the country. Snell recog- nizes the adversities several countries live with on a eve- ryday basis and he said he's pleased to help the people of Cape Town. "This is all part and parcel what the Lions Club is all about, our projects and assistance is not just for the local community, it's also world-wide," said Snell. The man responsible for the 13,000 km exchange is immediate past district gov- ernor of the District A9 Lions Club, Hank Van Moorsel. He recalls of the plan as an idea from an article that he saw in a newspaper, he cut the news story out and had it pinned on his wall for the last seven years. When you This is all part and parcel what the Lions Club is all about, our projects and assistance is not just for the local community, it's also world-wide" — Snell become the governor for the Lions Club, Van Moorsel said most are expected to prepare a specific governors project, "I said sure," he added. "I had that thing sitting up on a bulletin board for all those years, I've been want- ing to collect bikes," Van Moorsel explained in an interview. It was time to turn this idea into reality. Moorsel contacted Bikes for the World, a US grounded non- profit humanitarian organi- zation, to find out what he could do. The initial amount of bicycles Moorsels said he could accumulate was approximately 100, they told him, "That's great, but to fill a container we need 500." This task seemed unman- ageable for the past district governor, he expressed to the organization that he wasn't sure if this quota was possible. They stated with assurance to Moorsel, 'we think you can: The bike hunt was under- way. He contacted all the 46 Lions Clubs, which has a total of about 1,300 members in Ontario and the response became overwhelming. "Some of these clubs like Seaforth brought 50 bikes, it just took off," he said. "Basi- cally people are throwing these bikes in the dump and the people (in Cape Town) are using them to get to school, to get to hospitals, to start new businesses, it's pretty awesome." All the bikes were gathered Rodavon Farms Organic 100% Grass Fed Beef Free of Corn and Grain Farm Certified Organic By Popular Request NOW AVAILABLE In 25 Ib Packages Place Your Order Today! Contact John & Della Rodges 519-524-6483 djrodges@hurontel.on.ca �l gjr, J fiwan • All the bicycles collected by the District A9 Lions Club. in a barn and then shipped off across the ocean in a 48 -foot -long sea container bound for South Africa, where members of the Lions Club waited for the ship- ment. The Lions Club has approximately 1.4 million members in 210 countries. "They are at the other end receiving the bikes, that's kind of the neat part of being international, you've got friends in every country of the world;" Moorsel, 60, says of his organization. Contributed photo This October the District A9 Lions revealed they will be sending another 500 bikes. Van Moorsel said he's having trouble closing the project down. "I can't seem to turn the tap off." ATTENTION ADVERTISERS! DEADLINES Our Weekly Deadlines are as follows: ADVERTISING & EDITORIAL Friday @ 2:00 pm II1fon Expositor f 8 Main St., Seaforth PH: 519-527-0240 www.seaforthhuroneexpositor.com OFFICE HOURS: Mon. - Fri. 9am - 5pm CLOSED TUESDAYS