The Livingston Rotary Club will collect used bicycles and sewing machines on Sunday, Sept. 27, at Livingston Town Hall.
The club is partnering with Pedals for Progress, a New Jersey-based nonprofit also known as Sewing Peace, for its annual collection drive. The drive runs from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the rear parking lot of Town Hall, the West Essex Tribune reported.
Donated bikes and sewing machines are shipped to people in developing countries, where they become tools for getting to school, commuting to work and earning a living. Pedals for Progress has shipped 173,500 bicycles since 1991 and 7,335 sewing machines since 1999, according to the organization's website.
The collection starts right after Bike Livingston wraps up at the same location. That free community ride, hosted by the Township of Livingston and the West Essex YMCA, runs from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. with 4-mile, 7-mile and 11-mile route options. Registration is required for the ride. The township's event page lists bike donations to Pedals for Progress among the day's activities.
The nonprofit completed two shipments already in 2026. In June, it loaded 432 bikes, 45 sewing machines and 60 soccer balls bound for a partner in Belize. In April, another 420 bikes and 20 sewing machines headed to Absolute Bikes Tirana in Albania.
Have a bike to donate? Residents can contact Alan Schultz at Pedals for Progress at [email protected] or (908) 399-8217.
Upcoming community dates
- Sunday, Sept. 27 — Bike Livingston, 8:30–11:30 a.m., Livingston Town Hall / West Essex YMCA (registration required)
- Sunday, Sept. 27 — Pedals for Progress bicycle and sewing machine collection, 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m., rear parking lot, Livingston Town Hall
