BANGOR, Maine — A bike can mean everything when you're trying to get a job, improve your health, or visit loved ones. For some Mainers, a bike is financially out of the question, but a new partnership is aiming to fix this.
The Bicycle Coalition of Maine, along with Orono Brewing Company and the Maine Discovery Museum is bringing an Earn-A-Bike program to the Bangor area, and they’re kicking it off with a fundraiser ride.
"In October I'm going to ride my mountain bike from Orono, Maine to Washington D.C. to raise money to get bikes in the hands of Mainers who otherwise couldn't afford them," explains Orono Brewing Company co-owner Abe Furth.
The funds Furth raises will go towards launching Earn-A-Bike in Bangor. The program will teach basic bike mechanics and traffic safety skills. It also provides graduating students with a fully refurbished bicycle, a new helmet, a lock, safety lights, and an at-home repair kit.
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“Biking has just given me so much," shares Furth. "In business, it’s something that has helped me in stressful times. Just getting on a bike clears your mind, helps creativity... it really helped give me the confidence of going into business at a young age. I know how much biking means to me and how much it gives to me personally, and I believe a bicycle can do the same for anybody."
According to the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, the Bangor program will launch in the summer of 2022. It's based on the “Bikes for All Mainers” earn-a-bike program the coalition helped launch in Portland in 2014.
Some of the funds raised by Furth's ride will go to the Portland program. The Bicycle Coalition of Maine says it has a lengthy waitlist.
"I think the fundraiser is going to be great," says Mark Horton who is co-owner of Orono Brewing Company. "It's nice to be able to give opportunities to people who might not otherwise have [a bike]."
Interested supporters can visit bikemaine.org/earn-a-bike-program for more info and to donate, or they can mail checks to the Bicycle Coalition of Maine at 38 Diamond Street, Portland, ME 04101 with “One Bike Can…” in the memo line.