Project Make [it] count: Pacific Northwest

Partnering with Community Cycling Center for a holiday bike drive

I am Marjon Walrod, a tax senior associate. I have worked with PwC since January 2006 in the Portland office. Because Portland is a smaller office, I work in core federal tax and do not have an industry expertise. I have had the opportunity to do projects with the SALT and ITS groups, which makes working in a smaller office challenging and fun. I am also enjoying working on an energy client that is producing wind energy. As you will see, I have a special interest in "green" initiatives.

Originally from Florida, I moved to Portland in fall 2000 with my husband. Over the past nine years, we have made Portland out home. I often feel like I had another life before PwC. While attending the University of Florida, I was introduced to road bike racing. I joined the collegiate team my freshman year and got hooked to the sport. In 1999, I joined a professional team. Over the next 3 years, I was traveling and racing all over the country, winning a national championship along the way. This is how I met my husband, a fellow cyclist. Life as a professional cyclist is completely different from what I do now. With Project Make [it] Count, my goal was to figure out how to connect these two worlds and give back to the cycling community that gave me so many wonderful opportunities.

I still have a lot of bikes, five to be exact. I probably don't ride all of them as much as I should, and only three are really getting used regularly. I think about why I need five bikes, as I am only one person. Some people do not have even one bike.

Living in Portland, I have become acutely aware of my impact on the environment. My husband and I started making conscientious choices to use our own cloth bags at grocery stores, I take my own mug for coffee, and we ride our bikes everywhere we can. Riding our bikes is one way we lessen our impact on the environment. Biking in Portland is a way of life for thousands of people. My husband commutes to work daily by bike, and I am working on increasing the number of work commutes I make by bike.

We are fortunate to own a house within 3 miles of our jobs and with a 5,000-acre park in our backyard. Forest Park is the second-largest urban park in the country with more than 70 miles of hiking trails, which we are running, hiking, or mountain biking as much as possible.

What does it mean to me to make [it] count?

When I entered this contest, I was excited about the opportunity to give back to my community but didn't have a clear idea of how I was going to do that. My bicycle has been a way for me to experience a new world and be part of a community of very healthy-minded individuals. I remember what it was like the first time I rode my bike without training wheels. On my flowery plastic banana seat, I went cruising down the street, suddenly feeling like I could go anywhere, until I realized I didn't know how to stop and came to a crash in the bushes at the end of the street. I started riding my bike everywhere. For most of elementary school, I rode my bike with my brother and sister. Every day we headed out on the milelong trip to school, securing my bike at the girl's rack with my sparkly blue chain and combination lock. These little things meant so much to me as a child?the independence and confidence I felt from these trips to school?that I want every child to have this opportunity.

What is my idea?

A few years ago I worked with the Community Cycling Center (CCC) helping kids learn how to fix and ride their bikes safely. At the end of the program, each kid earned a bike with all the gear. I realized that I wanted to do something more to help this wonderful organization. The CCC has a commitment to the community through its earn-a-bike program, helping low-income adults and youths become more self-sufficient, healthy, and safe. It also has a commitment to the environment through its recycling efforts, 25 tons of metal each year, making it the largest bicycle recycling organization in the United States. Every year, the CCC has a holiday bike drive, during which it gives out 500 kids bikes on one day.

What person/people/organization/charity have I chosen to work with/contribute to?

After meeting the community volunteer, Brian Benson, he suggested the best way to get involved this time of year would be to have a bike collection event. The majority of the bikes CCC gives away come from these types of events as they create awareness in the community and get more used bikes from people's garages and yards where they may be rusting and in disuse. The center puts the donated bikes in the hands of people to make a difference in their life.

How did I arrive at my decision to work with/contribute to the organization/charity/individual/people that I chose?

With Brian, I was definitely looking forward to helping the organization meet its goals for bike collection. The more bikes collected each year, the more it can give away.

What do I hope to accomplish during my experience?

I hope not only to be able to collect bikes for the CCC but also to create awareness in my office and in the community for what an impact cycling can have on people of all ages. I don't want people to just give me bikes they are not using, but I hope that I can encourage them to get a bike that they will use and keep in good condition. I would like to empower people to be able to ride their bikes to work by giving out maps of good bike routes and showing them how to do simple bike maintenance.

Week one experience

Implementing my idea was much harder than I thought. I had to consider location and timing. There are a lot of other events, and with the Thanksgiving holiday in the middle, I needed a weekend that was going to have the most people in town. In addition, I had training that took me out of town the first week. I wanted to work with the Portland State University (PSU) cycling team as it is actively involved in giving back to the cycling community. I thought having my event on the PSU campus on a Saturday would get me the most visibility. Every Saturday through late December, there is a Saturday Market in the park blocks in the middle of the PSU campus.

Every part has a purpose

During week two, I met with the CCC volunteer coordinator Brian Benson. He gave me a tour of the bike shop and where they fix up all the bikes as well as repair and sell used bikes and bike parts. I was impressed with the organization; everything has a place. If bikes are in too much disrepair, the staff strips everything off the bike, with tires going to build school running tracks, metal parts getting recycled, and the bike tubes even going to a local artist who turns them into messenger bags. Every part has a purpose. Often parts taken off old bikes can be put onto "newer" bikes. A bike that seems to be beyond disrepair is given a new life or a new purpose once it hits the mechanic's hands.

On the Tuesday afternoon I was visiting, a group of experienced volunteers was coming in to repair bikes that had been collected at an earlier event. The shop mechanics take volunteers with little to no experience and teach them skills needed to help fix up these bikes. Brian showed me a room in the basement where a small portion of the bikes for the holiday drive were being stored. It was amazing to see how colorful these renewed kids' bikes looked, piled high in this dark space, waiting to be presented to their new owners and to be cherished for years to come.

Week two also brought other challenges. The PSU space is hard to reserve, and everyone kept referring me to someone else to be able to secure it for my event. I was not ready to change my location. as it is close to the office and easy to find, which is important if I want people to bring me their used bikes.

I started getting nervous that it would rain—it always rains in December. Would people come? Would people care enough to donate their bike to this cause?

Their first bike

During the week prior to my project, I wanted to make sure I had covered all the small details. I had advertised my event in my community, with my neighbors, friends, as well as in the office. I anticipated that the weather would not be the most favorable. I met with Brian Benson on Tuesday to collect the supplies and signage for the bike collection. I went on a night that the volunteers were meeting for the last time to get ready for their holiday bike drive. Talking with the volunteers, I sensed their excitement about the upcoming event. It is interesting how everyone volunteers for a different reason but with a common goal. I plan to stay involved with this organization and continue to help collect bikes.

I was concerned about the turnout for my event. However, regardless of the turnout, I had created awareness in my office and community for a great organization. I hope that if people didn't have bikes to contribute at my event that they will consider donating at a future date.

How did your recipient(s) benefit from your experience?

My event was a success by my standards. I didn't have a quantifiable goal for my event but hoped to have an impact regardless. I collected five bikes and some bike parts. I also donated $450 of my seed money, which will give nine kids their first bike, helmet, and safety education class this holiday season. Our market also donated an additional $100, for two additional kids' bikes.

The awareness I created for the Community Cycling Center could have unknown impact. On the day of my event, I talked to people who passed by my table and explained what I was doing. Portland residents have such an awareness for cycling, and everyone I talked to was very receptive to the CCC's mission and expressed interest in making contributions or bike donations.

How did you benefit from your experience?

I had big plans to Make [it] Count. In some ways, I wished I had more time to execute my plans. Overall, I felt very rewarded by being able to make a small difference in my community. The CCC had its holiday bike drive on the same weekend. From everything I read, it was a rewarding experience for all those involved. I know that the bikes I collected will be back out on the streets soon, thanks to the efforts of a great organization. I will continue to stay involved with the CCC and hope that I have been able to create awareness for this great organization.