Contra Costa County firefighters have put together 350 new bicycles this year to be given out to low-income children in the annual Bikes for Tykes program, fire Capt. Gil Caravantes said today.
Every year for the past 20 years, firefighters have spent their pre-Christmas off-duty time assembling bicycles and tricycles at fire stations throughout the county for the program.
This year, all 270 firefighters helped put the bikes together, Caravantes said.
He said the fire district chose to give out bicycles because “as we all know, as a kid growing up, your bicycle was your first sense of freedom.”
The bikes were purchased with money from donations, including a $500 donation from the San Ramon Rotary Club, and a golf tournament fundraiser that was held in October.
Children also helped raise money for the program by doing chores at home that their parents would pay them for. About 70 children did chores this year and raised about $1,100 for the program, Caravantes said.
He said the bikes were purchased through Costco, which sold them to the fire district at cost.
John Muir Medical Center donated helmets that will be given out with the bicycles.
On Friday, firefighters will bring the assembled bikes to Fire Station 10 in Concord, where they will be distributed to community groups to be given to needy children on Christmas.
While there is always more demand for bicycles than there are bikes available,
Bay City News
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