June 11, 2014 - Emterra Environmental is providing a $4,000 grant to The Winnipeg Repair Education and Cycling Hub (The WRENCH) to purchase helmets that will allow youths to safely ride their bikes. This grant will ensure that students who “earn a bike” through WRENCH programming will have access to the safety equipment they need to get their project bikes on the road.
John Sitarek, Operations Manager at Emterra Environmental Winnipeg Division, and Pat Krawec, Executive Director at The WRENCH, along with Winnipeg Councillor Mike Pagtakhan, met with members of the Girls’ Bike Club at Hugh John MacDonald School to help them choose their brand new helmets.
Emterra Environmental is pleased to help The WRENCH equip kids with helmets so that they can enjoy riding their bike safely. We’re delighted to support Pat and his team in their work to teach young people how to repair and maintain their bicycles, and we encourage more young people to use this greener mode of transportation,” says John Sitarek.
“The helmets from Emterra will mean so much to the kids who receive them through our Earn-a-Bike, drop-in and outreach programming. The cost of a helmet is a very real barrier to active play and bicycle programming for kids who need it most. Every kid should get to experience the joy of riding a bike. Support from community leaders like Emterra makes that possible,” says Pat Krawec.
In Manitoba, people under the age of 18 are required by law to wear a helmet when riding a bicycle. However, due to financial constraints, some children are unable to afford bikes or helmets. The WRENCH helps provide restored bikes to kids and this Emterra grant will provide 300 youths with fitted helmets and will let them enjoy bikes they have built themselves.
For the past two years, Emterra Environmental has worked with The WRENCH and other community organizations in Winnipeg to deliver over 450 bikes to children in need through the WRENCH`s Cycle of Giving 24 Hour Kids Bike Building Marathon.
This year, The WRENCH will develop workshops, programs and special events for hundreds of youths across the province to teach them how to repair and maintain their bicycles.
About Emterra Group
Emterra Group consists of four divisions offering municipal and industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) customers a fully integrated approach to collecting, processing and marketing waste, recyclables, organic waste, used tires, and more. A privately owned organization, Emterra Group is involved in a number of community initiatives across Canada through its Community Care™ program.
About the WRENCH
The WRENCH is a registered charity that is dedicated to creating stronger, healthier communities by removing barriers to building, repairing and maintaining bicycles- with a focus on educating youth.
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Contacts:
Paulina Leung
Emterra Group
Ph. 905-336-9084, ext. 130
Mobile : 416-939-7916
Email : Paulina.Leung@emterra.ca
Website : www.emterra.ca