For 15 years, Chris and Laura Grant have run the Calgary Bike Swap — a tech-checked, theft-flagged used bicycle marketplace that has quietly become a lifeline for more than 30 community organizations, from recovery foundations to refugee support groups. This year's event takes place May 2 at Vivo for Healthier Generations in northeast Calgary, and it could be one of the last.

In a candid message to the community, the Grants say they can no longer fund the event themselves. Despite submitting 45 grant applications across categories ranging from technology to cycling education, they've received nothing — and are currently dipping into their retirement savings to keep it going.

"In the current landscape, one group consistently receives all the grant funding," they wrote. "We aren't the only nonprofit that has lost funding, but we are all silent."

The stakes are real. The Bike Swap supports more than 100 community alliances, donates rebuilt bikes to marginalized families, survivors of human trafficking, newcomers, and people with disabilities, and runs the only nationally recognized cycling education program in Canada. Last year, bike donations dropped by half while demand increased.

The May 2 event runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with consignment drop-off in the morning and sales opening at 2:30 p.m. Volunteers are needed and get first pick of bikes. Those interested in helping secure the event's future beyond 2026 can reach out directly to Chris and Laura.