Kelly Benefit Strategies partners with World Bicycle Relief

KBS Pro Cycling Team Athletes to Support International Relief Program Efforts; Visit Africa
The Kelly Benefit Strategies (KBS) professional cycling team, already well known for its environmental program, announces today that it has made a commitment to support World Bicycle Relief in its mission to provide bicycles to those in need. World Bicycle Relief supports healthcare, education and economic development programs in underdeveloped regions, creating better access to independence and livelihood through the power of bicycles.

The partnership will see KBS athletes promoting awareness of the organization’s work throughout the 2009 race season and then traveling to Africa after the season ends to witness first-hand the power of bicycle relief.

“We’re an international program from the races we attend to the causes we care about,” says Jonas Carney, performance manager. “Ask any of the athletes on our team what a bicycle has meant to them and their lives and you’ll get some pretty powerful answers. But that’s nothing compared to what something as simple as a bike can do to improve the health care, education and economic growth in developing nations. It is remarkable to see what a big difference a bike can make.”

KBS athletes will advocate for World Bicycle Relief in a variety of ways, including traveling to races across the country, displaying a World Bicycle Relief bicycle. The same culturally appropriate, utilitarian bicycle that can be purchased with a $134 donation is provided to healthcare volunteers, teachers, students, entrepreneurs and others in underdeveloped countries.

In May, World Bicycle Relief will be a featured beneficiary of BikeJam and the KELLY Cup, Baltimore’s premier racing event sponsored by Kelly Benefit Strategies. This year the event will serve as a platform for both fundraising and raising awareness of the work of World Bicycle Relief.

“Giving back to the community and to people in need is a core value of our organization,” says John Kelly. “When I learned the impact that one bicycle can have on peoples lives in these developing nations it hit me deeply. Our involvement as a team with World Bicycle Relief is simple, we want to enhance awareness for their work in the cycling community, see lives positively impacted and hopefully inspire others to see how they can help this great cause. We all benefit through the power of bicycles.”

KBS team equipment sponsor SRAM is a key partner of the World Bicycle Relief program and was instrumental in the team’s adoption of the international cause.

“We saw SRAM’s level of involvement and commitment to World Bicycle Relief – and their passion,” says Carney “and just had to say yes.”

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