DALLAS, TX (BRAIN)—After 10 years in borrowed garages, nonprofit Spokes for Folks has a valuable new corporate partner: the Hans Johnsen Company.
The connection makes sense—Hans Johnsen is a Dallas-based distributor of bikes and parts, and Spokes for Folks repairs bicycles donated by the community. Spokes recycles the bikes back to the community, giving them to local agencies and nonprofits. The Hans Johnsen Company will provide a space for the group to hold their repair events, called Wrench Days. The company will also provide bicycle storage and donate some spare parts from their overstock.
“Since Spokes for Folks started, we have been looking for a good location to hold our Wrench Days,” said Armond Schwartz, the nonprofit’s founder and president. “Fifty or 60 people fixing bikes is a lot—and there’s been more and more interest from the community, so we knew we needed to find more space.”
Local mountain biker Pam Jackson has been part of the organization from the beginning—in fact, her family’s company, Sunkist Pools, has been the location for several Wrench Days. “We’ve really outgrown our storage space, and there’s a lot of rearranging that happens every time we add or remove bikes,” Jackson said. “Now, the operation will be smoother, and move faster. We’ve connected with several bicycle-related charity organizations, and this help from Hans Johnsen will really streamline filling those requests.”
Spokes for Folks bikes can be found all over the Metroplex: Grapevine’s police Department distributes them to homeless and unemployed adults who need transportation. The Boy Scouts, Boys and Girls Clubs of Dallas, and Family Gateway receive bikes. Beas Kids is a local organization that tutors high-school kids; they utilize bikes to give kids transportation to summer jobs. Groundworks Dallas gets bikes for their Green Team, and in Rockwall, Upside, Northlake Church’s after-school program receives bikes. Sachse High School’s Mountain Biking Club and Nolan Catholic School Cycling Club receives bikes for students who cannot afford them. In Ft Worth, homeless veterans at Patriot House benefitted. And Power-Pedal plans to take some of the sturdiest bikes that are donated, to give to medical workers all the way in Sierra Leone.
Lance Johnsen, president of Hans Johnsen, said the company is pleased to connect with a local cycling charity. “We have always tried to give back to cycling wherever we can,” he said. “But putting our support behind Spokes For Folks is especially appealing. Hans Johnsen is the oldest bicycle business in North Texas, and we have very strong connections to the cycling community here.”
Spokes for Folks will be the charity beneficiary of the Tour Dallas annual community ride, on Saturday, April 2.
