Everybody’s favorite Columbia City empowerment-through-bicycles organization Bike Works has been in the news recently for a program with CleanScapes where bikes are saved before going into the dump and donated instead. From Seattle Times:

From that grew CleanScapes’ bicycle-recycling program, which at a Tuesday ceremony delivered the 400th bike to Bike Works, a nonprofit program that repairs bikes and provides them to disadvantaged youth. Money the program earns also goes to support youth programs.

“It’s astonishing what people throw away,” said Chris Martin, president of CleanScapes, which provides garbage pickup in parts of Seattle and in Shoreline.

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CleanScapes worked with Seattle Public Utilities to put containers with bicycles painted on them at the city’s North and South Transfer Stations. There is no charge to dump a bike.

Used bikes go into the containers, then to Bike Works. Those that can’t be saved are sold for scrap metal, which helps funds the recycling program.

But that’s not all. Bike Works is also holding a fun, easy-going ride from Columbia City to Ballard Sunday to celebrate Major Taylor’s birthday. From BW:

Please join us for our annual Major Taylor Ride! We will be celebrating our fabulous community of supporters, students, volunteers and friends (yes, that’s you!) along with the 132nd birthday of Major Taylor– the first African American world champion athlete and one of the worlds greatest track racers. In honor of Major Taylor we are encouraging (but by no means requiring!) folks to wear fancy attire of Major Taylor’s era (early 1900s), if you feel so inclined. Feel free to bring your friends, family, sweeties along for the festivities, as we will end our ride at Hattie’s Hat in historic Ballard where we will continue celebrations and the general having of fun. This fun ride across town will be purely social and paced to accommodate all riders. We’ll take as many breaks as we need and no one will be left behind!

When: Meet at 5pm, ride departsat 5:30pm on Sunday, November 14th
Where: Meet at Bike Works and ride to Hattie’s Hat
Why: because it will be FUN!

Please RSVP if you plan on attending and bringing anyone, so we can know how large a group to expect. Thank you for being so fabulous and we hope you can join us! Every rider gets a surprise birthday gift!

Oh, what’s that? You want a third Bike Works update!? How greedy. Well, fine then, here you go. Free Range Cycles in Fremont is donating time and expertise to BW by taking bikes from the BW warehouse, repairing them, then donating them back. Good work!