GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (BRAIN) — TerraTrike has donated more than $3,000 worth of cycling accessories to The Spoke Folks, a nonprofit bike cooperative based in Grand Rapids, the trike-maker's hometown.
"We love what The Spoke Folks stand for and what they're doing for the Grand Rapids community – approaching big societal issues all through the humble bike," said Mike Kessenich, the CEO of TerraTrike. "We applaud their efforts and want to support them in any way we can. Hopefully, this is the start of a larger collaboration."
The Spoke Folks is a registered nonprofit that was established in 2012 to increase bicycle ridership in West Michigan and beyond. Martel Posey, the executive director of The Spoke Folks, said, "The donation from TerraTrike will help to make a lot of our customers bikes better vehicles of transportation and we can only accomplish this with other great organizations who support the work we love doing."
The donation from TerraTrike consists of wheels, tires, shifters and other accessories that will go toward building bikes for community members at low or no cost. Last summer, The Spoke Folks helped fix 78 bicycles, provided 90 inner tubes and 86 brake cables to local youth.
"This was an amazing donation," said Posey. "It helps us to replenish a lot of the parts that we have used during our busy season."
In addition to providing community members with affordable bikes, The Spoke Folks also have a mobile repair truck they take to local events where they run workshops and give tips on bike tuneups. They also have an annual membership program so any local bike enthusiast can have access to their shop space with tools and knowledgeable staff on hand to help.
More information at thespokefolks.org.
