World Bicycle Relief (WBR) partnered with pro cyclist Lachlan Morton, his team EF Education-EasyPost, Rapha and Cannondale to deliver 156 bicycles to a rural community in Cordoba, Colombia.
Funds to pay for the bicycles were raised through Morton’s on-going fundraising campaign known as the ‘Alt Tour’.
Two schools in the San Pelayo municipality of the Mid-Sinu community of Colombia received 156 Buffalo Bicycles on May 19-20. Lachlan Morton’s global supporter base, known as ‘dot watchers’, grew his fundraiser for World Bicycle Relief during his Alt Tour last July, when he completed the Tour de France route fully self-supported.
These initial bicycles distributed in Colombia represent just a portion of the US$760,000+ raised as Morton rode every stage and transfer of the Tour de France, covering a distance of 5,500 km in just 18 days – beating the peloton to Paris.
In addition, a prize draw for the Cannondale bike used on the Alt Tour raised an additional US$31,000 for World Bicycle Relief.
A further 304 bicycles funded through the Alt Tour were delivered to students in Colombia last week. The remainder of the funds will be used to mobilize thousands of students throughout World Bicycle Relief’s programs in Colombia as well as Kenya, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
“When you can provide a bike – access to transportation – in a situation where it can really be life changing, that is an incredibly rewarding thing to be a part of,” Lachlan Morton said. “I am also interested to see, on the community level or the broader scale, the impact that bikes can have on a community.”
Morton also visited World Bicycle Relief’s Barranquilla assembly facility, where local staff assemble and support distribution of specially designed Buffalo Bicycles, built to stand up to the rugged terrain where they’re used.
Andrew Wright, World Bicycle Relief Country Director in Colombia, said “It is a privilege to witness a bicycle distribution, especially with Lachlan. You immediately see the power and energy of Colombian youth, and when partnered with a reliable bicycle and sturdy means of transportation, positive change follows. Add Lachlan’s mentorship and giving spirit – it’s one of our best days.”
