2 THE VOICE, THURSDAY, OCT. 2, 2014 EDITOR BEN ZUTTER ews Langara grads running non-profit Every Single Sole providing soccer equipment to under-privileged kids around the globe lll JES HOVANES photo Former Langara student Alvin Prasad, days before his non-profit organization Every Single Sole was due to send equipment to the Fiji Islands. By JES HOVANES ormer Langara soccer players have teamed up to provide new and mildly used equipment to un- der-privileged children around the world with their non-profit organi- zation, Every Single Sole. Alvin Prasad, Gareth August and Jit Dulay held their first donation event this summer in conjunction with the England-Italy World Cup game. Pro- ceeds from the event are set to touch down in the Fiji Islands this week, Oct. 4. The group was able to send five large boxes of equipment that included ev- erything from boots, to balls, to full team sets of uniforms. “The generosity of people has been huge,” said Prasad. August notes that this amount of equipment will easily allow over 100 kids to play soccer that otherwise would not be able to. Every Single Sole differs from other organizations in part because it takes advantage of technology and social me- dia. As soon as they decided on their first event, they started tweeting, said August. Technology has also allowed them to partner with organizations both locally and overseas. So far they have joined with organizations in Fiji, South Africa and India that serve local schools and are able to distribute the equipment. They are also working with Vancou- ver organizations to schedule more events, donate prizes and provide ven- ues. When asked what got them started on this project, Prasad recounted a scene from his travels in Fiji. “When the whistle blew the players on the field ran off in order to exchange their boots, their shin pads, their socks with the kids who didn’t have anything. Twenty-two kids ran off the pitch and there were several hundred who were going to play at some point in the day. Everyone was sharing the same equip- ment.” Both Prasad and August noted that their schooling at Langara —— in com- munications systems and business ad- ministration — helped in the develop- ment and execution of their business model, and are looking into partnering with the college for future events. LAUREN COLLINS photo Alvin Prasad (far left), Gareth August (mid-left) & Jit Dulay (far right) pose with some of the equipment being sent. Free parking replaced by bikes lanes on Ontario yes, y hae Some ‘students Sink focal residents were surprised 10 ** “find out that free parking , was replaced by bike lanes, MEL EDGAR photo A cyclist uses one of the new bike lanes on Ontario Street, heading south away from 49th Avenue By MEL EDGAR moved free parking along both sides of Ontario Street between 49th and 52nd Avenues to make way for separated bike lanes. According to Langara’s own records, there was only one public hearing held prior to the change. However, this meeting pertained to the addition of a rooftop crane on the future science and technology building, not to changes on Ontario Street. Langara College released notifica- tion online June 28, 2014, and also post- ed a warning about the upcoming works. Miriam Ruiz, a resident on 52nd Av- enue, didn’t see Langara’s notic- es. “There was no consultation when the traffic was changed along this stretch of Ontario,” she said. Graham Smith, manager of building operations at Langara said it was not the college’s responsibility to inform the public. “We were not the ones who came up with this, this was the city’s idea,” he said. “So if the city wants to force some- thing like this, they should be doing the consultation.” Vancouver city councillor Geoff Meggs, vice-chair of the standing com- mittee on planning and transportation he this year Langara College re- said, “there is consultation on trans- portation and there is consultation on development -- and long-standing poli- cy to improve bike infrastructure.” The concrete barriers were added to protect cyclists from increased traffic at Langara’s Ontario Street entrance during construction of the new science and technology building. “The city anticipated that that would be a heavily trafficked area, and there- fore additional protection of cyclists would be needed,” Smith said. The benefits of the separated bike lanes are unclear, especially when weighed against potential increased costs for students. Second year kinesiology student Ed- ward Tiojanco, lives in Surrey and tries to take transit, but sometimes drives when he is pushed for time. “Tm still a student and I have bills to pay,” said Tiojanco, who estimates if he has to drive to campus he pays $6 in parking for every $20 spent on gas. Arno Schortinghuis, former director of Bike Hub sees free parking as a huge subsidy for drivers. “Free parking is one of the worst things we do as a society,” says Schort- inghuis. The separated bike lanes are set to stay on Ontario until the completion of the science and technology building in two years time.