Since 2006, the Boothbay Harbor Rotary Club has been providing free used bicycles for international workers and all who need one in the Boothbay area.

The need is very real, as so many of these folks have no transportation available to them at all and their lodging can be miles from their workplace.

To promote safety, the club works with the Boothbay Harbor Police Department and hands out free bike reflectors and rules of the road. We also work with the YMCA to distribute free bike helmets to children or adults who need one.

Each year, the demand on the program has grown. Rotary club members and community volunteers have donated hundreds of hours in labor and many hundreds of dollars for parts each year to cobble together an adequate fleet of bikes to meet the demand.

Local businesses and individuals have given direct donations to keep the program going. Sadly, due to an aging fleet beyond repair, the program is now at risk. As we look ahead to the 2015 summer season, we have fewer than 30 bikes that are serviceable.

The goal of our “Spokes for Folks” fundraiser is to renew our fleet of bicycles with good, strong, simple bikes that we can easily maintain. We have worked very hard to locate a source for a bulk purchase of bikes that will hold up to the daily use our bikes require. We can purchase these bikes in bulk for about half of retail at $225 each. Our goal is to raise $25,000, which equates to just over 100 new bikes. We are asking for the community to donate to our new fleet so we can continue to provide this wonderful service to the workers of our region as well as the numerous local businesses who benefit from this transportation.

We have set up an online website to accept donations which can be found at www.crowdrise.com/spokesforfolks. We are also accepting checks marked “Spokes for Folks” mailed to the Boothbay Harbor Rotary Club at P.O. Box 518 Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538. Although we plan on collecting donations through August, we are asking for contributions prior to May 15 so that we can be prepared for the first wave of international workers arriving for the 2015 summer season.

The Boothbay Harbor Rotary Club is a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization, so your donations are fully tax deductible. For more information about our club, please visit www.boothbayharborrotary.org

For more information on how you can help keep the wheels rolling this summer, contact Rotarian Doug Roberts at Oak Street Provisions or via phone 207-615-2279.