Social media brings bikes to Khayelitsha

Cape Town, April 3, 2012

Yesterday (2 April 2012) saw the culmination of the incredibly successful Pick n Pay Like Bike Campaign, when 25 bicycles were presented to the Velokhaya Life Cycling Academy, an organisation that focuses on giving youngsters from disadvantaged backgrounds the skills and opportunities to make a success of their lives, both on and off the bike.

The Like Bike, the brainchild of Pick n Pay’s digital marketing team and an integral part of this year’s Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour, was powered solely by “likes” on the Pick n Pay Facebook page. For every “like” received, 10 meters were added to the distance intrepid sports junkie Liezel van der Westhuizen was able to cycle on race day; and for every 10 kilometers she completed, Velokhaya stood to receive a brand new bicycle, which meant a total of 11 bikes could ultimately be donated. However after the race, Pick n Pay generously increased the number of bikes to 20. In addition to this, Probike donated another five, bringing the total number of bikes to 25.

Learners spent the day yesterday putting the new bikes through their paces at the Velokhaya BMX Oval in Khayelitsha, with Suzanne Ackerman-Berman, Director of Transformation at Pick n Pay and Liezel van der Westhuizen joining in the festivities.