By Samuel Reid

Four years ago, Bill Yates, owner of Pedal Power and then manager Brad Flowers had an idea: They wanted to help liberate those displaced by war and genocide.

Yates and Flowers decided to ask for donations of bikes and bike parts, which they could then refurbish or assemble, and donate to Kentucky Refugee Ministries.

Kentucky Refugee Ministries gives the donated bikes to refugees living in Lexington.

“(The refugees) are the most vulnerable people in our community,” Flowers said. “People getting settled don’t have choices where their apartments are, which can dramatically hinder their ability to get to a bus stop. We saw a place where we could come in and make a huge difference.”

Pedal Power has managed to provide a bike a week every week for the past few years. Recently, however, the Bike Shop has received so many bike donations that there are currently too many to physically store, Flowers said.

To create more room in the shop, Yates and Flowers will host a used bike sale this Saturday. All proceeds will be donated to Kentucky Refugee Ministries.

The sale will occur at the Pedal Power parking lot on South Upper Street from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Volunteers from Flowers’ new business Bullhorn Marketing will be there to help.

Most of the refugees come from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bhutan, Iraq, Togo, Burundi and Afghanistan, said Barbara Kleine, director of the Lexington branch of Kentucky Refugee Ministries.

The goal of the organization is to make refugees self sufficient as quickly as possible, Kleine said, and the donated bikes help them reach this goal.

“It makes a huge difference,” Kleine said. “The bikes expand opportunities for employment and give them more independence.” With a goal of selling 200 bikes this weekend, Yates said they plan to keep collecting and donating bikes for refugees.

“We appreciate the community supporting our shop,” Yates said. “We’re committed to the program and we’ll keep it going.”