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Bike share program with ERA Team VP Real Estate & Vacation Rentals and Hollyloft Ski & Bike benefits New Leash on Life

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Over the years, hundreds of animals have received medical care and have been placed in homes due to a partnership between Hollyloft Ski & Bike and the nonprofit organization New Leash on Life.

This season, ERA Team VP Real Estate & Vacation Rentals is contributing to that partnership with a new bike share program. The four repurposed bikes sitting at 1 Morris are for the use of ERA Team VP agents, clients and tenants staying in the vacation rental properties. Each bicycle, which came from Hollyloft, has a basket and sign on it with the names of all three organizations.

“(The program is about) branding ourselves throughout the grounds of Chautauqua, but also being able to provide a fun service and a fun options for clients and staff alike to be able to use them,” said Rachael Wiley-Steffen, director of corporate marketing at ERA Team VP.

More than five years ago, Hollyloft began a partnership with New Leash on Life, a volunteer organization with a network of local foster homes. When people donate used bikes, Hollyloft is able to repurpose the bikes. Once they sell the bike, the money goes to New Leash on Life to help with animals’ medical needs. Seri Beeson, a worker at Hollyloft, said the additional partnership with ERA Team VP helps to spread the word even more about the program.

“It is showing that people can get themselves a really nice used bike all fixed up, and the money goes to the animals and they have their own nice little bike they can put many more years on,” Beeson said.

Diane Hendrix, one of three directors from New Leash on Life, said the money from the program  goes toward helping animals with medical expenses, which includes spaying, neutering, vaccinating, as well as additional rehabilitation and dental work.

The program has brought in “much needed funds,” which over the years have helped New Leash on Life place animals in new homes and care for animals that need medical attention, Hendrix said.

Hannah Raynor, multimedia marketing coordinator for ERA Team VP, said the idea of creating the bikeshare program in the end goes back to New Leash on Life.

“(Hollyloft) thought that it was a great idea on top of the fact that we were really working together to support New Leash on Life,” Raynor said. “That was the ultimate line there too that all the money … it cost for us to purchase the repurposed bikes, it all benefited New Leash on Life.”

Tags : bike share programHollyloft Ski & BikeNew Leash on LifeRA Team VP Real Estate & Vacation Rentals
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The author Elizabeth Backo

Elizabeth Backo is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Backo, who is from Pittsburgh, works at a Sheetz and spends her free time attending way too many country concerts. Her time at Chautauqua will consist of geeking out about analytics and nearly crying every time she sees a dog. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @liz_backo.