75 bicycles to be donated to Federation

US Humanitarian and coordinator for the “Community Bikes Program”, Chuck Fox has opted to purchase and donate several bicycles to underprivileged children in St. Kitts and Nevis.

Local liaison Dr Cedric Francis, indicated that the pilot program is the result of a partnership with Colgate University alumna Kathryn Bertine, a US cyclist, who acquired dual citizenship and is currently training to qualify in women’s cycling for the 2012 summer Olympics in London, representing St. Kitts and Nevis.

Bertine’s goal, according to Dr. Francis, is to help build a cycling federation, beginning with the children. She in turn, hopes to get locals as far as the Olympics.

So with this in mind, humanitarian Chuck Fox jumped on board to help. According to Dr Francis, the bicycles will go to children between the ages of 8 and18. He added that Fox is planning to send 75 bicycles, helmets and locks to the federation and if everything goes well, more bicycles will be donated on an annual basis.

However, Dr. Francis said the children will use the bicycles in a supervised environment, where they will, under supervision, ride the bikes and then return them. Francis said that after the children have shown enough maturity in taking care of the bikes, they stand a chance of taking the bikes home.

The US Air Force has volunteered to transport the bicycles to the federation. They are scheduled to arrive on March 10th.

Dr. Francis, a local who works in conjunction with the Honorable Marcella Liburd, has been residing in the United States for some time, and has been donating medical equipment to the J.N. France General Hospital annually.