Have you ever wondered what to do with those bikes that are tucked into the corner of your storage area and aren’t getting out and rolling around the neighborhood as much as they used to? Our Cameron Station community found a great solution this past year by hosting a community bike drive.
More than twenty bikes of all types and levels of wear were collected during the week immediately following our spring community yard sale and donated to a local bike cooperative that fixes them up and repurposes them.
When you start seeing announcements for our Spring 2026 Yard Sale get ready to pull those lonely bikes out and share the love forward at our next Bike Drive.
p.s. The bike drive could be a great service project for a Scout looking for ideas.
Summary
- Cameron Station conducted a one-week bike donation drive to collect bicycles from community residents and provided them to a local bicycle cooperative that refurbishes them and donates them to people in the DMV area.
- Donations total: 16 bicycles, 1 child’s bicycle, 1 child’s tricycle, 3 scooters, and assorted accessories.
Planning and Execution
- An initial step was to locate a suitable organization that would accept and re-purpose bikes for a worthy cause. Vélocity Bicycle Cooperative (Vélocity Bicycle Cooperative – Building a bicycling community in Alexandria, VA.) was identified and agreed to receive donations from our bike drive.
- The drive was scheduled to begin immediately after the conclusion of the Cameron Station Spring Yard Sale to encourage donations of bikes that were not sold (Saturday, April 26, 1:00-2:00). This one-hour event yielded the largest number of donations (11 bikes, 1 children’s bike, 3 scooters, and accessories).
- The drive kickoff was de-conflicted with the concurrent Goodwill donation drive through communication before the event and separating the two collection points. Goodwill was stationed in the parking lot on the side of Cameron Club; bike donations were collected at the management office entrance to the Cameron Club.
- Donations during the week (April 28-May 2) were coordinated by contacting the Cameron Station management office between 9:00-4:30. After-hours donations could be accepted by a resident volunteer with prior coordination through the management office. No after-hours drop-offs were requested.
- Donations were stored in the pool area, against the building, between the doors to the two locker rooms.
- The pool area was available because the event occurred prior the start of the pool summer season. It was also de-conflicted from scheduled maintenance.
- A key was provided to one resident to facilitate after-hours donations.
Communications
Information about the drive was shared through several channels during the weeks leading up to the event.
- Weekly entries in The Cameron Station Connection
- Blog: Pedal it Forward: Give Your Bike a Second Life - Cameron Station
- Flyers
- Cameron Station Volunteer Coordinator and other volunteers posted in community common areas and condo entrance areas.
- A tailored digital flyer was provided to the Tucker Elementary PTA President to share with Tucker families.
- Signs were posted on the lawn in front of Cameron Club on the day of the kickoff event.
Admin / Logistics
- Two coordination meetings were held with CAMP staff and community volunteers.
- Flyers were designed by a community volunteer.
- Vélocity could transport up to 20 bikes at a time. Daily checks of donations were conducted in case a mid-week pickup might be needed. Donation totals did not necessitate a pick-up prior to the end of the drive.
- Vélocity provided blank, pre-signed receipts for tax purposes. A receipt was provided to each donor who wanted one.
Notes, Observations, and Lessons Learned
- Outreach to local scouting leaders occurred to offer this as a potential service project for scouts. There was no response until just prior to the event. This might be worth attempting again if there are future bike drives.
- Carlton Place and Main Street Condos conducted a bike tagging project to clear bike storage areas of bikes that have been abandoned or whose owners wish to donate them. Timing didn’t align with the Cameron Station bike drive, so Vélocity will have another pick-up later in May.
POCs
Vélocity: Mike Pattisall (703) 850-0551; mike.pattisall@velocitycoop.org
Bill Metheny, and his wife Lori, have enjoyed living in Cameron Station since 2014 when friends told them about this great neighborhood. After renting for a couple of years, they committed and moved into Carlton Place Condominiums. Bill, Lori and their family moved around the world with the military before settling in Northern Virginia. Bill and Lori love our neighborhood and the many activities the area offers. They especially like biking with friends locally, around the US, and occasionally in other countries.
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