Trek Bicycle and World Bicycle Relief (WBR) have raised a record monthly donation amount through the ‘Trek Match’ initiative. In the month of July, Trek and World Bicycle Relief partnered for a dollar-for-dollar donation matching program that ignited a huge response.
With unprecedented support, over US$90,000 was raised in four weeks, which will be doubled by Trek’s matching donation. The money will be used to provide roughly 1,500 bikes for deserving students, healthcare workers, and entrepreneurs in Africa.
“Trek’s outstanding support in July will make a deep and immediate impact on the lives of thousands of people in the developing world,” said F.K. Day, President of World Bicycle Relief. “Trek’s technical strength and passion for quality align directly with our mission as we work together to empower those most in need.”
While the initiative relied heavily on social media and web communications, one advocate stood out as Trek Match’s biggest champion. Known throughout the bicycle community as ‘Fatty’, Elden Nelson of fatcyclist.com, used his popular website as a fundraising vehicle and became key to the success of the initiative. In total, fatcyclist.com raised US$39,774 for World Bicycle Relief in the month of July.
“World Bicycle Relief has never had such a successful fundraising July, and Trek needs to get about a million high-fives for their part in it,” Nelson said. “They have just made so many lives immeasurably better and I’m excited to have helped.”
World Bicycle Relief (WBR) is working toward a goal of providing bikes for over 50,000 students in rural Africa, as a means to educational access. The iconic WBR Buffalo Bikes are assembled locally where they are distributed across Africa, providing job opportunities where there is a recognizable need.
