World Bicycle Relief is Named Winner of 2011 Chicago Innovation Award

Chicago, IL— World Bicycle Relief has been named one of the ten winners -of 409 nominated-of the coveted 2011 Chicago Innovation Awards. The winners were recognized at an event held at Chicago’s Harris Theater on Tuesday, November 8, with more than 1400 people attending.  The Chicago Innovation Awards is the Chicago region’s foremost recognition of the most innovative new products or services brought to market or to public service each year. 

The ten winners uniquely fill unmet needs, spark a competitive response in the marketplace, exceed market expectations, achieve financial success, and improve people’s lives. They emerge from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

World Bicycle Relief designs and distributes sturdy, quality bicycles to people in sub Saharan Africa who suffer from lack of access to health care, education, and economic opportunity. A bicycle can travel four times farther, carry five times more, and save up to three hours a day in travel time (based on a 10-mile commute) helping people get to a doctor or clinic, to school, or to work faster and more safely.  To date, 90,000 World Bicycle Relief bicycles have been distributed to students, healthcare volunteers, farmers and other residents in Africa and Asia.  For more information on World Bicycle Relief go to www.worldbicyclerelief.org.

“The economy is challenging but each nominee believes the simple truth that a powerful new product will find a rewarding market and each has the courage to pursue their vision.” said Thomas D. Kuczmarski, Co-Founder with Chicago journalist Dan Miller of the awards.

"To many living in United States, a bicycle is used for fun weekend rides or as an environmentally friendly way to get around town. But to millions of people in developing Africa, a quality, sturdy bicycle is the difference between getting to school, getting healthcare, making a living, or not.  It is a simple, yet powerful tool that can lift the most in need out of poverty," says F.K. Day, founder & president, World Bicycle Relief.

The complete list of this year’s Chicago Innovation Award winners can be found at http://www.chicagoinnovationawards.com/past-winners/2011-winner/

The Chicago Innovation Awards is a civic event, free-of-charge to all involved, and supported by sponsors including Wrigley, Google, Cisco, Comcast Business Class, Edelman, Spigit, Disney Institute, and others.

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PR Contact: Carol Gifford, carol@giffordpartnerships.com, 312-307-8318

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