In a world where people trample each other for Black Friday, skip the lines, go for a ride, and splash some cash on organizations doing good stuff in your neck of the woods.
As you probably know, kolo t.c. has loads of cash and is always looking for great ways to spend it. But instead of getting an 88″ Samsung TV for a tidy $19,999 (sorry, Africa, we need to see Kevin James’ second chin in HD)*, we’re putting a bit toward people doing good work for bikes in your ‘hood.
On November 28, after the flurry of sales, meals, and meat sweats have run their course, Giving Tuesday is a great chance to take a step back and put the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday into practice. People in 98 countries have contributed $177,000,000 to non-profits all over the world since Giving Tuesday was started.
There are too many options to count, but here are a few that we’re really into here at kolo t.c.
Norte Youth Cycling has morphed into one of the most influential organizations in Traverse City. Founders Ty and Johanna Schmidt have grown the non-profit into more than just a group of kids on bikes. It’s a leading advocate for road, sidewalk, and urban planning development runs dozens of youth programs, has a Varsity and Junior Varsity cycling teams, and offers more rides, events, workshops and other opportunities than, well, anyone.
Northern Michigan Mountain Bike Association isn’t content to trim branches. Their board has taken on restructuring the Vasa Singletrack, has trail proposals in the hands of DNR officials for projects all over the region, and is working to change how the forests are viewed by legislators in Lansing. Oh, and they groom trails at 2am all winter long. With membership dues now staying 100% in-state, there’s never been a better time to get involved with maintaining and improving our trails.
Traverse Area Recreational Trails. Yeah. TART. They’ve done plenty of work to bring the Boardman Lake Trail to completion, as well as a number of initiatives that make day-to-day commuting or getting around possible, including winter snow removal for the folks that use the trail to get to work. With an ambitious grooming plan on the Vasa Pathways and Leelanau Trail, and the vital Recycle-A-Bicycle program, they’ve got plenty of stuff that needs funding.
What non-profits are you supporting this year?
*No, we aren’t donating $19,999 this year.