The BTA’s loveable Tom Rousculp not only does a cracker-jack job of coordinating our Safe Routes to School and Bike Safety Education programs, but also serves on the board of Bikes to Rwanda.

(Oh! And Tom and his wife Samantha, who can really make the mud fly at Cross Crusade, are expecting their first child! Will the little one be born wearing lycra?)

Tom teamed up with Bikes to Rwanda’s Executive Director, Clara Seasholtz, to bring an authentic, handmade wooden bike from Africa to the BTA’s Alice Awards & Auction. This is truly a collector’s item.

According to BTR’s Seasholtz: "One can walk along any Rwandan road and find these wooden bikes created by young boys. Wooden bikes are used to move all types of heavy loads—like potatoes, beans, lumber, and coffee cherries. Taking a closer look you'll find the construction, the detail, and the artisan skill that goes into these utilitarian bikes quite impressive. In the end, we ultimately find a beautiful piece of art that began with a greater purpose."

BTR’s mission is to provide cargo bicycles to cooperative coffee farmers in Rwanda. The goal is to improve the quality of life in these communities through a bike workshop and maintenance program that provides transportation resources for basic needs and enhances production of quality coffee. Duane Sorenson, of Portland’s very own Stumptown Coffee, was one of the driving forces behind this project.

Here’s the best part: proceeds from this auction item will be shared with Bikes to Rwanda and the BTA.

If you're interested in this ultimate collector's item, please reserve your ticket for the Alice Awards & Auction today.

Our thanks to Tom, Clara, Duane Sorenson, and everyone at Bikes to Rwanda and Stumptown Coffee for this donation.

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