Whitchurch-Stouffville
July 05, 2008 09:29 PM
By: Jim Mason
Harold Hosein is best known as an on-air meteorologist.
But, today the 680 News weather man is in northern Whitchurch-Stouffville at work with his charity.
The native of Trinidad and Tobago founded Recycle Your Bicycle, a non-profit volunteer organization that collects and ships unwanted bikes and bike parts to Cuba, in 2003.
During his first visit to the country the year before, he was astonished to see residents riding 50-year-old bikes.
Volunteers from The Orion Foundation and Recycle Your Bicycle are packing a shipping container of medical equipment and other supplies to send to Cuba at home near Ballantrae today.
The equipment includes hospital beds, mattresses, wheelchairs, centrifuges, cardiac carts, crutches and canes, while the supplies include computers and monitors, a treadmill, an exercise bike, clothing and possibly some bicycles, if room allows.
“Once again, Canadians are proving that they have very large hearts and are more than willing to help the less fortunate in other countries,” Mr. Hosein said.
The Orion Foundation, a non-profit organization, has helped save thousands of lives by sending HIV meds to sub-Saharan Africa in recent years.
It also works along side the Recycle Your Bicycle program, which has sent more than 1,500 bicycles to the Cuban people, as well as medical equipment, clothing, shoes, computers, sewing machines and more to help the underprivileged and sick.
“All of these good works have been accomplished with the contributions of concerned and committed citizens,” Orion Foundation CFO James Arion said. “The Orion Foundation and Recycle Your Bicycle are simply outlets for their generosity.”
For more details on the charities, go to
orionfoundation.ca,
haroldhosein.com or
recycleyourbicycle.com