An eighth-grader at Haddonfield Friends School organized a recent donation drive as part of his capstone project that resulted in 10 bikes given a Philadelphia nonprofit that provides bikes and parts for the area community.
Rocco Kotler and his father David learned on the fly how to draw donations at the school, by where they situated their table, among other ideas.
“Something like this, it’s such a learning process,” Rocco said. “You have to do three before you dial it in and get it right .. We were down the side (of the school) and so, no one’s going to find us. Then we ran around and made signs really quick … Then ok, how do we get more exposure? So we moved the table … trying to adapt to what you’re given in this setting.”
Rocco acknowledged the difficulty of advertising his drive.
“The marketing side of it’s really hard, just to get that exposure out there,” he explained. “There are a lot of people that are interested in the project … but they don’t have the bikes or the means to donate. So just getting the word out there really boosted my capstone.
“If I (had) kept it really localized to the school community, I don’t think we would have had the turnout that we did.”
David said he and Rocco posted the drive to multiple Facebook groups and hung up signs around the borough and at stores.
“There were people that said they saw, and the shop owners, I think, for the most part, were pretty good at letting him hang stuff,” David recalled.
Max Shilvock, a volunteer coordinator with the organization that received the bikes, Neighborhood Bike Works, noted that donations generally increase this time of year.
“Donations and donors are a really big part of our effort,” he pointed out. “Just yesterday, at our physical location in West Philly, we got I believe 10 or 15 donations. And it always works like that, where spring, summer, fall – the warmer months – are just a more busy time for bike shops.
“It’s just nature … I think it’s just easier for us to go to folks and have a drive, rather than them coming to us.”
David is pleased with his son’s efforts.
“There are safer projects, not to be critical, but there are safer capstones he could have done,” he related.
Rocco chose donations of bikes because of his own love for them. He’s done two triathlons, and is gearing up for a second. His personal ride is a Scott Speedster 40.
“One thing that’s really helped me, whether that be physically or mentally, is cycling,” he said. “I had to think of a way in which I could take what I love so dearly and give that opportunity to someone else, while using the skills I gained via cycling and volunteering at a bike shop over the summer down the Shore.”
Shilvock said Neighborhood Bike Works was pleased Rocco encouraged a donation drive.
“I think we aspire to do more of it and we realize the potential of it,” he observed. “It’s great that Rocco realized this … We’re really, like, happy and proud of him that he was the one who pushed us to do it.”
Rocco Kotler – a biking fan himself – prepares to take his bicycle donations to Philadelphia.
