ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It's not even Halloween, but there is a non-profit organization in St. Pete that’s busy preparing for Christmas.
Free Bikes 4 Kidz Tampa Bay provides hundreds of bikes to families every year, and this weekend, they’ll be holding a large donation drop-off in St. Petersburg.
Every day, volunteers at the Free Bikes 4 Kidz warehouse take in old, used, donated bicycles, fix them up, make them look new again, and then give them to families in need.
“These are the greatest guys in the world. They are generous with their time and their talent. They over-contribute to their efforts,” said Randy Hallier, Executive Director at Free Bikes 4 Kidz Tampa Bay.
Hallier said this mission is personal for him.
“I was one of these kids when I was a toddler. My father, unfortunately, passed away. I was raised by a single mom. We didn’t know necessarily where things were going to come from the next day or the next week,” said Hallier.
What started out in one Minneapolis garage in 2008 has now grown into 14 chapters across the country, but this is the only one in Florida.
“Our motto here is, ‘every kid deserves a bike,’” said Hallier. “We were giving bikes away to six and seven and eight and nine-year-olds. That was the first time they actually took ownership of their own bike. It was unbelievable to see the expressions on their faces.”
Sharon Hall is a volunteer with Unity of Tampa Church. They pick up bikes every year and deliver them to shelters for victims of domestic violence.
“These are moms who are struggling to financially just pay rent or put food on the table,” said Hall. “And they brought their children with them, got them out of horrible situations, and it’s just a mission that this church took on a number of years ago.”
However, in order to continue providing hundreds of bicycles on an annual basis, the non-profit depends on donations from the community.
The next drop-off event is Oct. 28. For more information, go here.
“Eighty-five percent of the bikes we do get can be rehabbed, so to speak, so we repair them, replace parts that are worn out, we make the bikes safe, and then we have a grant through the state of Florida where every bike that’s given away comes with a brand new helmet too,” said Hallier.
