Shipping the volume of bicycles and sewing machines that we deal with requires a network of people and groups around the tri-state area to dig into all the tiny garages and sheds hiding these used items. We benefit greatly from the networks each group has within their towns as they rally their friends and neighbors together in search of bikes and sewing machines one weekend a year. Seeing the small-town interactions blossom in a new place every weekend has become a big reason why I love Pedals for Progress.

For over 30 years, hundreds of people around the tri-state area have encountered and worked with P4P. Some come and go, as evidenced by the 170,000 bikes donated—each representing at least one individual who contributed. But what has been amazing is seeing the long list of legacy groups we continue to work with. In some of the towns we serve, the collection events put on by our sponsors have turned into something of a yearly ritual, akin to a homecoming game, bringing support from all corners of the community.

The Westfield Rotary Club is one of these legacy groups we have partnered with for decades. Since 1997, the Westfield Rotary Club has hosted collections with us every year, generally during the same month at the Westfield BOE building. The club is filled with many long-standing members who have rallied together in support of our cause. Each of their collections feels like a homecoming game of friends and neighbors coming together each fall for the big day.

As with many of our groups, there is usually one key person leading the charge. For the Westfield Rotary Club, that man is undoubtedly Warren Rorden. He has led this tradition since 1997, quietly rallying the club and the people of Westfield to lend a helping hand to people in the developing world.

This year, continuing their legacy, we’d like to extend a special congratulations to the Westfield Rotary Club for collecting their 3,000th bike! Through their tireless efforts, they have provided incredible service to thousands of people all over the world. The club has been an important part of the history of P4P, with their bikes finding new homes in countless countries.

We’d like to thank the club for their many years of support for our cause. A key part of our history books, the Westfield Rotary Club has even been featured in some of our past newsletters, such as when Dave discovered a Jay’s Cycle sticker all the way in Ghana in 2008.

“As we moved across the countryside down to Cape Coast and then back inland to Kumasi, the royal city of the Asanti Kings, we made many stops to visit our bicycles and their new owners. One such encounter was in the town of Asuman Kumansu. To get there, we drove through miles of oil palm groves and coco tree orchards—coco production for chocolate is a major cash crop—and arrived at three houses, where luckily, the owner of one of our bicycles was at home. His bike was an immaculate gray Schwinn. I knew it came through our system because there was a sticker on the seat tube advertising Jay’s Bike Shop in Westfield, New Jersey. As they do every year, the Westfield Rotary Club held a bike collection last September. Did the original owner of this bike ever imagine it would become the major means of transportation for a poor family in the middle of the Asanti highlands of Ghana?

For me this is what Pedals for Progress represents. We are the link between donors in the United States who want to help the poor of the developing world. Seeing the sticker for Jay’s Bike Shop brought that idea home to me loud and clear. Whoever donated that bike with the hope of changing someone’s life for the better did exactly that. And I was looking at the proof.”

Building on that history, Jay’s Bike Shop continues to be a supporter of P4P, further demonstrating the town’s commitment to the Westfield Rotary Club’s efforts. Jay’s continues to donate bikes, adding another layer of what P4P is all about. The Westfield Rotary Club’s ambition to be a vital part of their community has made them a vital part of the world.

The Westfield Rotary Club’s impact extends far beyond their collections. They have also energized local businesses like Jay’s Bike Shop and raised critical funds to offset the costs of shipping these valuable tools overseas. Within their own community, the club supports numerous initiatives, including scholarships, polio eradication efforts, and YMCA programs.

We are deeply grateful to Warren Rorden and the Westfield Rotary Club for their unwavering support over the past 26 years. Their partnership exemplifies the power of community and the profound difference it can make in the world. As we celebrate their 3,000th bike collection, we look forward to many more years of collaboration and shared success.