Landon Buford
ofo, the world’s leading citation-free bike-sharing company, and the JJ Barea Foundation, Dallas Mavericks player JJ Barea’s organization that offers economic assistance to non-profit entities in Puerto Rico, today announced a partnership in support of Hurricane Maria recovery efforts along the island. As part of this collaboration, ofo donated 600 motorcycles to be distributed throughout Puerto Rico, where public transportation is still severely limited and city infrastructures remain substantially damaged.
The 600 Ufa bikes were transported to Puerto Rico, where the Foundation received, stored and assembled with guidance and training from ofo. Together, Ufa and the Foundation will host demonstrations at an event today in San Juan on how to run and maintain the bikes. The Ufa bikes will be spread among the Boys & Girls Club of Puerto Rico and Communities Along Martín Peña Channel.
“Philanthropy has always been at the core of our business, and we’re grateful that this donation of ofo bikes is able to assist in some small way in Puerto Rico’s recovery,” said Chris Taylor, ofo’s head of North America. “We applaud the JJ Barea Foundation for all its hard work and support in the hurricane relief efforts, and we’re honored to partner with such a generous and dedicated organization.”
JJ Barea is a Puerto Rican-born professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks in the National Basketball Association. Barea and his Foundation have shown unwavering support for Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria, and he has been active in relief efforts and a regular presence in Puerto Rico over the past few months.
“Puerto Rico is home. My family, friends, and community are there, and they still need a lot of help to recover from such a devastating hurricane, which is why I’m so thankful for this truly thoughtful donation from ofo and powerful partnership with my Foundation,” said Dallas Mavericks Player JJ Barea. “Hurricane Maria destroyed many of our roads, people are without cars and public transportation is limited, so getting around the island and having access to everyday necessities is still a big challenge. These bikes will go a long way in assisting Puerto Rico’s rehabilitation, and I appreciate ofo for making that happen.”
About ofo:
Founded in 2014, ofo is the world’s original and largest station-free bicycle-sharing platform. ofo was created for sharing and aims to unlock every corner of the world by making bikes accessible to everyone. To date, ofo has connected users to more than 10 million bikes in over 250 cities across 20 countries, generated more than 32 million daily transactions and has provided over 200 million global users with 6 billion efficient, convenient and green rides. ofo partnered with the UN Development Programme in April to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and launched a partnership with Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation in August, in which ofo donate bicycles to girls living in Malawi in need of a safe way to get to school. To learn more, visit www.ofo.com.
About JJ Barea Foundation:
The JJ Barea Foundation was founded by Dallas Mavericks player and native Puerto Rican JJ Barea. The mission of the JJ Barea Foundation is to provide support, collaboration and economic assistance to non-profit entities in Puerto Rico that dedicate their efforts to improve the education and sports skills of our children and youth.
