Giving Thanks

Editor:

Many people choose November as a time to give thanks for their good fortune. Our family doesn’t celebrate the traditional thanksgiving holiday out of respect for the indigenous people on whose land we are living. But I am personally grateful and want to thank the community around us for the support you have shown to Bad Business Model Bikes. This month we reached the remarkable milestone of over 700 bikes donated, which means that at least 700 people have given us their bikes to restore and provide to others at no cost. Hundreds of other people have donated to our parts fund. Amazing. We are not an actual business or an official non-profit, but each week and sometimes every day, somebody in Castro Valley and the surrounding areas reaches out to us with their donations. In a time when finding joy can be difficult, we get to witness and experience the “good” in our generous community all the time. I can’t list everyone who has helped us in just 300 words, but I can thank some of the standouts: THANK YOU to Chris Padavana and the Eden Bicycle team. THANK YOU to Ben Schweng and the team at Cyclepath in Hayward. THANK YOU to the Trek Bicycle shops in Dublin and Livermore. THANK YOU to Castro Valley Rotary. THANK YOU to Joanne Lauer, Mike & Jen Tapia-Smith, Murline Monat, Linda Saxton, Barbara Becker-McCallister, Susi Baer Hildebrand and hundreds of other parts fund donors. THANK YOU to Roberto Souza of CV News for helping to spread the word. THANK YOU to the amazing people at AIDS/Lifecycle who teach us that anyone can make a difference in the lives of others. THANK YOU to Kris Kupferman for joining the BBMB team. And finally THANK YOU to mi corazon Ari Huitzilopochtli for your guidance and support and inspiration. Your hard work for diversity and inclusion has made Bad Business Model Bikes a better place for everyone.          

–Billy Bradford, Castro Valley