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Bicycles for Humanity ships 10th container to Africa

Locals collect 461 bikes for Africa
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Linda (left) and Chris Wille (middle) and the local Bicycles for Humanity volunteers load 461 bikes into a container at Keating Cross Road that will ship to Africa this week. Submitted photo

Volunteers with the Victoria chapter of Bicycles for Humanity sent off its 10th container load in 10 years on Monday.

A very small but dedicated loading team packed the latest container in about five hours at a spot near Keating Cross Road on Saturday. It’s loaded with 461 good used-bikes and spare parts and will travel by barge to Vancouver where it will be trucked to the container port and loaded on a freight ship bound for Africa.

For Saanich’s Chris Wille, who runs the local chapter with his partner Linda, Bicycles for Humanity is a rewarding way to give back. Wille has travelled great distances around the world on extended cycling adventures and has seen the benefit a bike can have.

“This last load marks 4,482 used bikes collected and shipped,” Wille said. “Each and every bike helps to change lives and empower some of the world’s poorest people in Africa, greatly improving their access to education, food, water, employment and health care.”

The Willes will take a break from bike collecting for the rest of the summer but will start collecting bikes and parts for an 11th container load later this year.

reporter@saanichnews.com