TRIANGLE SPOKES GROUP IS BORN
Area Nonprofit Aims to Donate 200 Youth Bicycles this Holiday Season
RALEIGH, NC – September 5, 2007 – The Spokes Group, a nonprofit organization that distributes new bicycles and helmets to less fortunate families during the holiday season, officially launched its Triangle chapter today. The Triangle Spokes Group is partnering with The Salvation Army of Wake County to collect donations and distribute the bicycles in time for the holidays – with the goal of donating 200 youth bicycles to area families this year.
“The Salvation Army and the Triangle Spokes Group are a natural fit. We share the common goal of serving the community and providing children with the joy of Christmas,” stated Ashley Delamar, director of operations and communications for the Salvation Army of Wake County. “The Salvation Army has been in the toy distribution business for many years, and bicycles, while they top the list for kids, are the most difficult toy to come by.”
The Spokes Group was created in 1994 by two Charlotte businessmen who realized the difference that could be made by raising money to purchase brand new bicycles for children during the holiday season. The first year, 17 bicycles were purchased and a tradition was born. To date, the organization has raised nearly one million dollars, resulting in the donation of 14,176 new bicycles. The cost of each new bike plus a helmet averages $70.
“For decades, the quintessential gift to receive on Christmas morning has been a shiny new bike,” said Ashley Wilson, Triangle Spokes Group co-founder. “We are excited about the idea of carrying on this tradition in the Triangle and making the holidays brighter for local children.”
The Triangle Spokes Group is currently planning fundraising events and establishing corporate partnerships. For more information or to make a tax deductible donation, please visit www.trianglespokesgroup.com. 100 percent of the money donated to the Triangle Spokes Group goes directly towards the purchase of a bicycle and helmet. All administrative fees and overhead costs are covered by The Spokes Group on a personal basis.
About The Spokes Group
The Spokes Group was founded in 1994 in Charlotte to raise money to purchase brand new bicycles for children during the holiday season. 13 years later, the need is still very apparent and the launch of the Triangle Spokes Group is a welcome addition. For more information on The Spokes Group please visit www.thespokesgroup.com or for the Triangle Spoke Group please visit www.trianglespokesgroup.com.
-GIVE A BIKE-
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Media Contact:
Jill Dykes
Crossroads Public Relations
Phone: 919.749.8488
jdykes@crossroadspr.com
About The Salvation Army
William Booth began The Salvation Army in 1865, when he left the Methodist ministry to begin a mission in the poverty-stricken slums of London. Booth's mission chose to take the message of hope and salvation to destitute people who needed it the most. Many of Booth's first converts to Christianity were rejected by traditional churches due to their pasts, but Booth still continued to support them spiritually and to challenge them to save others just as they had saved themselves. Today The Salvation Army serves through a network of more than 9,000 US based units. One of the largest charitable and social service organizations in the world, The Salvation Army has been helping those in need since 1865. The Salvation Army provides food for the hungry, companionship to the elderly and ill, clothing and safe housing to the homeless, opportunities for underprivileged children, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, and many more services to assist those in need. Locally, The Salvation Army has been serving the people of Wake County since 1887 and maintains a program and services investment of 91 cents for every dollar received from the community. Its Wake County headquarters is located at 215 South Person Street, Raleigh, NC 27601. Its Mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.
