World Bicycle Relief is honored to receive the Bertha-and-Carl-Benz-Prize from the City of Mannheim, Germany. On Sept. 20, 2017, Mannheim Mayor Dr. Peter Kurz awarded WBR Co-Founder and CEO F.K. Day with the prestigious prize and 10,000 Euros during the International Cycling Conference.
The prize is given out every two years to an individual or organization that has made a significant impact on mobility – both physical and social – that is simple and ecologically sustainable.
“We are honoring an exemplary organization this year. World Bicycle Relief’s work beautifully merges the different aspects of the prize by creating mobility with simple, environmentally friendly transportation that leads to increased social mobility,” said Mayor Kurz. “World Bicycle Relief creates opportunities in several different ways – connecting individuals to education, markets and health care, increasing social participation and ultimately, giving individuals the chance for independence. Such an effective and sustainable organization has rightly earned the Bertha and Carl Benz Prize.”
The award was given out in conjunction with Mannheim’s celebration of the 200th anniversary of the bicycle. As the birthplace of the bicycle, the city has hosted several activities and exhibits throughout 2017.
“We are deeply thankful and humbled to be receiving this esteemed award from such a revolutionary source of mobility innovation. From the bicycle to the automobile, the City of Mannheim is rich in its history and culture of inspiring and rewarding growth in this important and overlooked field. We are honored to stand among giants, and know in our hearts that until the barrier of distance is removed at all societal levels, then the battle must rage on,” F.K. Day said.
World Bicycle Relief is honored to join the company of previous recipients of the Bertha-and-Carl-Benz-Prize: Shai Agassi for his work in the field of electric mobility; Prof. José del. R. Millán for his research on brain-computer interfaces that control mobility aids to assist mobility-impaired people; and Prof Dr. Jan Gehl for his remarkable architectural work in urban planning and mobility solutions.
