News Flash

The holidays are right around the corner and that means new bikes for many children and adults. But, as exciting as new bikes are, they do pose a dilemma. What to do with old bikes?

The City of Durham Fire Department teamed up with the Durham Bike Co-Op earlier this month to help residents with that happy dilemma through Holiday Bicycle Recycle, and now has nearly 300 bikes to give back to families tomorrow.

Holiday Bicycle Recycle, a two-week program, ran from December 1-14 and allowed the community to drop off their used bikes, seven days a week, to any fire station for donation to the Durham Bike Co-Op. Each fire station had bike collection areas where residents left their old bikes and the firefighters at each station did the rest.

Almost 300 bicycles were collected during the two-week event and now the real work begins. Volunteers from the Durham Fire Department, Durham Bike Co-Op, Durham Police Department, and the community will be repairing bikes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, December 18 at Fire Administration, located at 2008 E. Club Blvd. The bike giveaway, for families identified at previous ‘Be Bike Smart’ events held at various Durham Housing Authority (DHA) locations, will take place from 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Fire Administration, and any remaining bikes left after tomorrow’s event will be used for future monthly ‘Be Bike Smart’ events at DHA locations. 

According to Fire Chief Robert Zoldos, Holiday Bicycle Recycle was a fun program for his department to host, especially since he’s been an avid cyclist from a young age. “The bicycle has been a big part of my life and taught me many things, I believe in them, and the power they give us to climb any hill,” Zoldos said. “But bicycles don’t grow under trees. In order to give bikes to the community, the Durham Bike Co-Op needed bikes from the community. With this in mind, our department was thrilled to help give back to Durham by hosting Holiday Bicycle Recycle at each of our 19 fire stations.”

The Durham Bike Co-Op, an all-volunteer 501(c) 3 non-profit, has been committed to recovering, refurbishing, and redistributing bicycles – free of charge – throughout the Durham area since 2007. The Durham Fire and Police Departments have each partnered with the Durham Bike Co-Op and Safe Kids on many monthly events, including ‘Be Bike Smart.’  At these events, each child leaves with a road-worthy bike and are fitted with a new helmet.

About the City of Durham Fire Department

The Durham Fire Department strives to enhance the quality of life for the residents and visitors of Durham by minimizing the harmful effects of fires, medical emergencies, and other types of dangerous events. Guided by the City’s Strategic Plan, the department helps create a safer community by conducting fire and life safety education programs;  providing emergency responses to fires, medical calls, hazardous materials spills, technical rescue calls, and water rescue calls; explaining and enforcing the fire code; investigating arson and the cause of other fires; and maintaining readiness through constant training and maintenance of facilities and equipment. To learn more follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.