VIEWS

I was amongst a group of nine students;

all from very different backgrounds but

in the end we came together as family with

a passion for biking. Representing seven

cultures, six countries and four continents,

we rode for 450 km in Northern Argentina

and once it was done we felt like we could

conquer the world.

P1 / ARGENTINA

A first hand account of a life-changing bicycle adven-ture, submitted by Two Wheel View participant, Gloria Nyokabi.

P2 / EARN A BIKE

More kids in Calgary are building community, learn-ing and growing while earn-ing pedal power.

P3 / FAST PITCH

Two Wheel View continues to gain recognition in the local non-profit sector for its social innovation.

P4 / TEN WAYS TO HELP

Tired of the clutter in your garage? Wondering how to make a difference? Thinking about getting into shape? We can help!

It’s truly amazing how a group of strangers can come together and in just a small amount of time become a family.

twowheel

“ ”

Reflections of ArgentinaRecently Two Wheel View hosted a trip

to Argentina and I was very fortunate

to be invited and experience all the

wonderful aspects of that trip.

>> CONT. PAGE TWO

2012 DECEMBER EDITION

On the first and second day, we explored

the city of Salta and it was truly splendid.

Trying out new food, listening to new music,

learning a new language; an experience

which I wouldn’t have gotten if it wasn’t

for Two Wheel View.

I got a chance to experience new cultures

and learned Castellano and Tagalog while

I taught them Swahilli.

A month ago I was getting ready for the trip

and it was going to be my first time travelling

all by myself and the second time travelling

on a plane other than when I came to Canada.

www.twowheelview.org

Two Wheel View has been lucky to receive support from the following groups and individuals:

Anonymous Foundation; Barry, Lyle and their friends and family who supported the student bike

trip in Argentina; Cenovus Energy; City of Calgary FCSS; Corpen Group; Femmes of Frames -

Madeleine and Alyssa; FGL Sports; Minerva Foundation; Out of House Solutions; Red Rock Camps;

Rotary Club of Calgary Fish Creek; Samantha Sedlowsky; Social Venture Partners; Sunalta School

4th Grade Recycling Club; Trico Foundation.

Reflections of ArgentinaWe got the opportunity to explore Cafayate

and Taffi de valle as well.

While in Cafayate we got to be a part of

the commemoration of the town founders.

We also had a chance to get amazing hand-

crafted souvenirs to give to our families.

To be honest I wasn’t one of the strongest

people while riding my bike but my group’s

encouragement and compassion motivated

me to keep going. It’s truly amazing how

a group of strangers can come together

and in just a small amount of time become

a family. Nothing is impossible.

Two Wheel View offers great possibilities

for people who could never dream of

travelling. Argentina has a lot to offer,

warm and wonderful people, amazing

landscapes that just draws your breath

away and remarkable food. The empanadas

are to die for, and come on, its Argentina

you guys - warm weather YAY! This

experience boosted my self-confidence

and proved that everything is possible.

I highly recommend going on the next

trip if you have the chance. by Gloria Nyokabi 2012 Argentina Trip Participant

Our Earn-a-Bike Program was very successful in the 2011-2012 school year with 103 bikes earned in 14 communities and we are on track for another great program year in 2012-2013.

In our first session this year (September to November) we were proud to work with the communities of MacEwan, Midnapore, McKenzie and Radisson where 36 Earn-a-Bike participants received bicycles for their participation in our program.

For those who may be unfamiliar with this program, Earn-a-Bike uses the bike as a tool to develop leadership and teamwork skills as well as bike mechanic capabilities in youth ages 11-17. Each week participants come to program where they receive a healthy snack, play games and discuss daily lessons in both character (community, leadership, self-esteem) and bike

mechanics (fixing a tire, gear adjustments, chains, brakes etc). They have the opportunity to use tools and disassemble and reassemble bikes every week.

Youth who attend all eight of the sessions earn a recycled bicycle of their own, along with a brand new lock and helmet to keep them and their bike safe.

We are looking forward to working with groups like the Liberian Association of Southern Alberta, the Autism and Aspergers Friendship Society, Sherwood School, Forest Lawn Library and the communities of Applewood and Glenbrook during the next school year.

A sincere thank you goes out to the Good Life Community Bike Shop for collecting bikes, repairing bike donations and for assisting us in facilitating these amazing programs.

>> CONT. FROM PAGE ONE

Argentina Summer 2012 Expedition Participants

supporters, believers, friends, funders, difference makers

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It’s 2:30 am, the early hours of the morning.

The Two Wheel View cycle tour finishes their

day with a ride off the coastal ferry and a

14km spin to home base, a sports hall called

Storrehallen. Coasting along the bike path

after climbing up and over a steep harbour

bridge we see locals on their bikes and

several people out walking their dogs! Where

are we? Far above the Artic Circle, Norway.

24 hours of light – and plenty to fill it.

Last July I co-led the All-ages Two Wheel

View bike tour/cultural adventure. While

exhilarating in itself, the biking is just a piece

of the action. Every day holds a unique oppor-

tunity to engage with the people of this north-

ern land. A grandmother hosts a tremendous

farm brunch spread, a friend explains the cod

industry through a taste-and-learn field trip,

wood burning hot tubs massage our muscles

until the dash into the frigid water of the fjord

rudely awakens them. Each night brings new

insight – a hunting lodge, a room to rent on a

tiny farm, sleeping under a net on an indoor

soccer pitch.

To encapsulate my experience I must just

simply say, “Take the opportunity to go and

join the Two Wheel View Norway tour yourself!”

SUMMER IN NORWAY BY TANYA MCFERRIN

FAST PITCH

For the third year in a row Two Wheel View hosted our

fall Impact Event September 30th, a showcase of our

summer expedition programs. We were treated to great

presentations from Tanya McFerrin and Sophie and

Thomas Cleplef who went on the Norway Expedition

and trip leader Jackie Mann and participant Jakarta Mackie

who rode their way through the Northern part of Argentina.

We were pleased to have other past participants there to

show support for Two Wheel View as well: Monika Kang,

Cindy Couch, Megan Flamand, Safi and Abdullah Cheema,

Roland Yong, Gregory Gray, Christina Smith, Maureen

Keough and trip leaders Jackie Mann and Jonny Barrett.

IMPACT event

>> READ MORE ABOUT OUR WORK AT WWW.TWOWHEELVIEW.ORG

Fast Pitch: How do you pitch your passion in 180 seconds?

Two Wheel View was fortunate to participate in Canada’s first Social Innovation Fast Pitch November 5 at the Boyce Theatre at Stampede Park. The challenge was to craft a three-minute pitch encompassing your organization’s mission, programs, the difference you are making in the community and your request for support. With help from three enthusiastic volunteer coaches from Calgary’s corporate sector, we made it through to the finals to compete against seven other Calgary Area charities. While we didn’t win the prize money, there were no losers, as it was a great chance to improve our communication skills, promote Two Wheel View, learn about some very inspirational Calgary organizations and create some promising new partnerships.

A BIG thank you to Social Venture Partners and the Trico Foundation for hosting the event and to our great coaches, Katharine Zhang and Tyler Murray from Walsh LLP and Jolene Ondrik from Eye on Culture.

Learning how to patch a tire is one of the most important parts of Earn-a-Bike

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Fundraising Bike Trip, Argentina March 3-15, 2013

1. Volunteer to help at an Earn-a-Bike program

2. Pay it forward and donate your old bike at the Good Life Community Bike Shop

3. Train the future by sponsoring an Earn-a-Bike program in your community

4. Host an expedition recruitment presentation at your school or community hall

5. Join our Two Wheel View Facebook Page and Twitter and spread the word

6. Encourage success by volunteering to assist a youth with their fundraising goal

7. Participate in and tell your friends about our annual Vehicle for Change Fundraiser in the spring

8. Sign up for one of our adult rides and raise funds for a youth

9. Empower a youth by donating to Two Wheel View on our website

10. Share our vision of changing more kids’ lives by the seat of a bike!

TEN WAYSTO SUPPORT US

Volunteer Opportunities Two Wheel View depends on the hard

work of volunteers to help us change kids’

lives from the seat of a bike. To date, our

volunteer force of 40 individuals have

contributed over 450 hours to TWV.

We are always looking for additional

volunteers to join us achieving our goal

of working with over 2000 youth in our

Earn-a-Bike program and taking over

350 youth on bicycle expeditions over

the next 5 years. Some of our biggest

needs include volunteers to help coordi-

nate our annual spring Vehicle for Change

Fundraiser, volunteers to work with our

Earn-a-Bike program after school, office

admin assistance and trip recruitment

volunteers. Most of these projects have

flexible hours and we welcome assistance

from youth volunteers too! If you

or someone you know is interested in

helping please contact Laura at admin@

twowheelview.org for more information.

Argentina Fall 2012 Expedition Participants on top of the world!

The Two Wheel View Fundraising Bike Trip is a unique international travel experience and a great way to help support a local charity.

Join Rick McFerrin, founder of Two Wheel View, in Argentina for the ride of a lifetime. Challenge yourself, change the way you think about yourself and the world, and provide sponsorship dollars for young people from your home town to participate in Two Wheel View expedition programs in Canada and abroad.

Apply online at www.twowheelview.org or by contacting Rick McFerrin (403-870-7433 or rick.mcferrin@twowheelview.org). Application deadline is December 31 or until trip is full!

JOIN THE RIDE

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