Neighborhood Bike Works (NBW), a West Philly-based non-profit organization that has been providing free bikes to essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, is holding a virtual Spring Fundraiser on Thursday, March 25, at 6:30 p.m.

Over the past year, the organization has been working through its Bikes for Neighbors program to connect people all over the city with safe and reliable bicycle transportation. The bikes were made available for free to essential workers – those working in hospitals, grocery stores, restaurants, warehouses, etc.

The Bikes for Neighbors program received over 540 requests for bicycles from Philadelphia residents in need, and 118 bicycles have been given out so far. Forty-five percent of the bikes have gone to healthcare workers and another 20 percent to grocery store employees.

Neighborhood Bike Works have been so inspired by the response from the press and the public that they have decided to make this program a permanent one. The organization is currently seeking donations and corporate sponsorship in order to enable them to give out as many free bicycles as have been requested.

NBW’s Spring Fundraiser is a free event that will feature raffles, a silent auction, and a $5,000 matching gift challenge sponsored by an anonymous donor. More information is available here. The event will also include speakers from the Bikes for Neighbors recipients pool.

The event begins at 6:30 p.m.; go here to join it: https://tinyurl.com/livenbw.

If you are unable to attend the live event there will also be a recording of it available through NBW’s YouTube channel.

Check out this video about the Bikes for Neighbors program: