Big on Bicycles: Embassy Hosts Fundraiser for DC Area Cyclists

Many guests cycled to the German Embassy for the WABA gala, which featured food, fun and dancing on a sunny Saturday. all photos © courtesy of WABA

The bicycle is big in Germany, where most cities are criss-crossed by well-marked paved cycling paths. So it was only fitting that the German Embassy recently hosted a major fundraiser for the Washington Area Bicyclist Association.

More than 200 bicycle enthusiasists attended the WABA Annual Gala and Benefit Auction coordinated by the German Information Center USA at the Embassy on April 12.

There is a long history of cycling in Germany: An initial version of this nifty mode of transport was invented in the country's sunny southwest by a certain Baron von Drais.

Today, as GIC USA Deputy Director Georg Schulze Zumkley pointed out in his welcoming speech, the "bike capital of the world" is Münster in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, which was voted the world’s most livable city at the International Awards for Liveable Communities in Niagara, Canada, in 2004.

Modern Germany is a cyclists' dream - the German government devotes some €100 million per year to bicycle lanes and cycling research. As a global leader in renewable energies, the promotion of the bicycle as a mode of transort in urban areas moreover reflects Germany's key leadership role in taking global responsibility to combat climate change.

The Global Alliance for EcoMobility, an alliance for walking, cycling, wheeling and "passenging" (the use of public transport) led by the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF), was launched at the Bali UN Climate Conference in 2007 with the support of the German government.

"Having the German Embassy host WABA's annual event allows us to work together in promoting our shared interests in recreational and competitive cycling, affordable and alternate transportation choices, and environmental sustainability," said WABA Executive Director Eric Gilliland.

As a nation of bikers, Germans also save on gas costs. "On average, every German cycles .62 miles per day, which adds up to over 18 billion miles each year. That means Germans save almost 800 million gallons of gasoline per year," said Schulze Zumkley.

"Germany supports the use of the 'zero emissions vehicle' to help fight climate change. Cycling is healthy, it's fun - and it's smart," he added.

At the WABA event, silent auction tables were set up with a variety of items related to the use of bikes, and the highlight of the evening was a live auction with a variety of upscale items to bid on, including custom bicycles and accessories and unique pieces from local artisans. All funds raised at the gala will go towards the safety, education and advocacy efforts of WABA in promoting cycling as an environmentally sustainable form of transportation.

The German Embassy has established partnerships with a number of charitable organizations in the DC area, and the 2008 WABA Gala and Benefit Auction was one of several planned events related to these partnerships that aim to help regional communities to "think globally, act locally".

Links:

Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) - with photos of the gala

Cycling in Germany (German National Tourist Office)

Collectors Discover Historic Bicycles (TWIG, August 10, 2007)