Pay It Forward Bike Drive

Hi, my name is Leatrice Smiley. On Wednesday, 8/31/22, my 13yr old daughter's bike was stolen from the bike rack at her school. I was furious & made a post about it in the community Facebook page group. I got so much positive feedback from so many people wanting to help look for it & even buy or donate a new/used bike to my daughter. The next day I went & bought my daughter a new bike myself & decided to turn this negative situation into something positive and give back. I decided to take the generosity I was getting from people for my daughter and use it to help other kids who walk home from school and may not be able to afford a bike to ride home instead. I made a post about what I wanted to do, and it EXPLODED within just a few hours. Many people have donated bikes they were not using any longer to me. Several people reached out asking if they could send me money. My initial response was no because I didn't want to take money from anyone. Most bikes I have been given need new inner tubes, and some require a new seat, but most importantly, when I give them away, I would like for them all to be able to come with a bike lock and helmet. My goal is to be able to collect at least 30 bikes & I will use this platform to purchase any replacement parts the bikes may need, lock sets & helmets. Anything raised over the goal will be used to buy more bikes & put together goody bags for the kids to go with each bike. I will collect bikes and donations the whole month of September & the first week of October; families of children who will receive a bike will be notified for pick-ups once the event location has been determined. I want to thank each & every one of you in advance for your help and support.