About a week ago, I received this email regarding Bikes For Katrina. According to the message, they have bike mechanics in New York City that are ready to travel down to New Orleans but need cash to do so. Since I cannot fund their project and since they're not part of one of the bike coops, I was hesitant to promote them. Nevertheless, not promoting them could also mean that a great volunteer offer was lost. Therefore, I leave it in the hands of my readers.

Below is the message I was sent. If, after reading it, you feel you'd like to help them, then go for it!

Regards,
Larry Lagarde

MESSAGE TEXT FOLLOWS...

Hello my name is Kevin Stewart, I'm a courier in Philadelphia, and also a
volunteer at the Neighborhood Bike Works. Jimmie at the bike works gave me
your contact info. Some friends of mine in NYC have organized this trip to
New Orleans, and we need to raise some money. Below you will find most of
the information that we have to date. If you are interested in helping, or
have any information on anyone who might be, you can contact me at
5tew4@phillybma.org  thank you for your time.


New Orleans Bike Build Project
Please make a donation to New Orleans Bike Build via Reycle-A-Bicycle. Help
us raise $13,750 to send 10 volunteer mechanics to New Orleans and put 350
bicycles back on the streets.

Hurricane Katrina was one of the worst natural disasters in the history of
the United States. One of the many consequences was the destruction that
crippled the entire city of New Orleans. A group of volunteer bicycle
mechanics has formed (Dec 1-7) to offer assistance on the New Orleans Bike
Build Project. A bicycle is an efficient and sustainable form of
transportation. We want to give the people the tools to help themselves and
to aid in New Orleans's reconstruction.

A local New Orleans non-profit bicycle project, Plan B (
http://planb.bikeproject.org/), received donations of over 600 used bicycles
for residents adversely affected by the hurricane. Plan B is a community-run
bike project that functions as an open workspace for bicycle repair as well
as a bike shop that sells recycled bicycles. Its building remained intact,
and volunteers are struggling to refurbish the large volume of donated bikes
to put back on the street as quickly as possible. The majority of these
bicycles are not in working order and require an average of 2 hours/bike to
make them safe. As bikes are completed, they are offered to the people of
New Orleans for a nominal fee of $15.

Our mechanics are taking time off from work, and donating their time to help
Plan B meet its mission. We estimate that each mechanic will repair at least
5 bikes per day. If we raise enough money to send 10 mechanics, we will be
able to repair 350 bicycles for the people of New Orleans. The cost of
sending each mechanic to New Orleans is $500 for travel and food. We hope to
raise $25/bike to cover the cost of repair materials. This sets our total
budget at $13,750. Please help the New Orleans Bike Build Project reach this
goal with a non-profit donation through the Internet or by mail at the
address noted below. Your support is tax-deductible.

Please donate through the Network for Good (
www.networkforgood.org) When you get to
the web site (
www.networkforgood.org ) search for:
RECYCLE-A-BICYCLE INCORPORATED . Recycle-A-Bicycle (
recycleabicycle.org)
is a NYC non-profit that is serving as the fiscal conduit for New Orleans
Bike Build.

Alternatively, make checks payable to: Recycle-A-Bicycle, and mail to:
Recycle-A-Bicycle
New Orleans Bike Build
55 Washington Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Thank You,
Jared Krumrine
nyny_to_nola@yahoo.com