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Hundreds of bikes get a second life in “Cycle of Giving”

Volunteers hard at work (and light on sleep) building bikes for Winnipeg children. Adrian Cheung/Global News

WINNIPEG — Over 350 children will get a bike to call their own this holiday and it’s all thanks to volunteers who worked around the clock to make it happen.

The non-profit Winnipeg Repair Education and Cycling Hub (known as The WRENCH) and its volunteers built bicycles from reclaimed parts from the Brady Landfill. Their “Cycle of Giving” campaign had mechanics building bikes for 24 hours in a row.

“This is a good chance to get through a whole bunch of bikes and get them just in time for the holidays,” said Robin Ellis, volunteer co-ordinator for The WRENCH.

Ellis added, “Giving a kid a bike makes their world ten times bigger. And opens up the world around them.”

Each cycle will be delivered to kids in need within Winnipeg and for the first time in five years, they will also be delivered to northern Manitoba communities.

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“Majority of the kids are in the inner city. This year, we have a partner who’s going to take them up north for us,” said Kirstie Lindsay, Executive Director, The WRENCH.

“We haven’t had that capacity in the past.”

Over 350 bikes were built during the marathon.

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