Volunteers of the month

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Chances are you’ve probably had a taste of the great beer brewed by our two volunteers of the month, Haley Woods and David Keller, co-owners of Peddler Brewing in Ballard.

Around the same time the brewery opened, Haley got involved with Cascade.

“Through the process of gearing our business to support bicycling I learned about Cascade’s advocacy efforts and was excited to volunteer,” said Haley. “It’s exciting to talk to people in the community and city about the need for bicycle infrastructure and learn how the process works.” One exciting moment for Haley was when she was at the City Council meeting where the Bike Master Plan was adopted.

Haley and David both volunteer with Connect Seattle, our city- wide team dedicated to creating a complete network of safe streets. Haley and David’s work focuses specifically on Ballard, Westlake and Downtown.

“One day, Haley and I were out on the street informing cyclists about the Westlake protected bike lane project and a rider was telling me they didn’t agree that it should be built. Just then, her chain broke and she was forced to pull over. I happened to have a chain tool and repaired her chain for her,” recalled David. “I may not have changed her mind, but it did give me a chance to explain that Westlake is an important corridor for riders of all ages and abilities.”

In September, the duo helped as Second Avenue Ambassadors. When I asked them what keeps them motivated to volunteer, David explained, “successful project completions like the Second Ave protected bike lane show that changes are happening. There seems to be a building momentum of cycling improvements in the city and it’s exciting to be part of that.”

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Haley and David, co-owners of Peddler's Brewing

Peddler Brewing offers a great community gathering space where bike advocacy can take root. Its proximity to the Missing Link makes completing the Burke-Gilman Trail a hot topic of discussion over a pint of beer. “I really enjoying talking to customers at the brewery and asking them to fill out postcards to the mayor about the Missing Link because many of them have had negative experiences and this is one little way they can advocate for a change,” Haley said. “The more people speak up, the more we’re noticed as a bicycle community.”

“The only way to get more people riding their bikes is to make the city safer and more accessible to cyclists. The changes needed won’t happen on their own, it takes a lot of work and persistence." - David Keller

"Cascade does a great job organizing and prioritizing our efforts to have the most impact, so I feel my time spent volunteering is really making a difference,” David adds. 

Visit Peddler Brewing to meet Haley and David or spot them around town at Connect Seattle events.

We are super excited to have them be part of our Connect Seattle team and want to extend a huge thank-you for building a wonderful bicycle friendly business!

Nominate your volunteer(s) of the month by emailing Kelli at Kelli.refer@cascade.org

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