Bikes For Beaumont

I  still remember my first bicycle. It was a black GT, my brother Shay Hanson had a blue Mongoose. I remember running head first into wooden fences to stop at first because it took me a bit to learn the coordination and timing of breaks. I remember finally learning how to skid to a stop and how cool it made me feel. I remember my neighborhood Camelot and every street, alley and short cut there was. I remember riding ALL THE WAY (maybe 2 miles) to the chocolate factory for ice cream, or to Dr. Video to play Street Fighter. I remember friends. I remember exactly how I felt as an adult being on a mountain bike in Colorado. Some of my best memories were on two wheels.
It is these memories that encouraged me to provide bicycles for kids this year that would otherwise never get to feel the way that I did, that freedom. I always had a bike growing up and I know some great parents can’t afford them. I know that some great parents houses were flooded and lost everything just two months ago. And some of those great parents didn’t have insurance. If you know someone affected by the hurricane, has children, and needs help, please let me know. I will also contact the principals of local elementary schools and find out if there are any kids that don’t have a bicycle. I truly believe that no child should grow up without a bike.
Christmas is not about receiving gifts. It’s about family, love and the feeling a kid gets when they know Santa flew all the way to their house just for them. I know how much that decorated tree meant to me on Christmas morning. I have 20 bicycles as of today, 10 girls and 10 boys. I have set up a go fund me account to allow for additional donations that will be used to buy even more bicycles. If you have an extra $5 dollars or can commit to buying one less beer when you go out this weekend, I can promise that I’ll use it to make someone’s Christmas special.

#OptOutside, #TexasStrong, #HappinessIsOnlyRealWhenShared, #BikesForBeaumont