Adding Wheels to Holiday Wishes

Austin Pittman gripped the handlebars, looked down at the “Harley-Davidson” decal on the side of this new bicycle and beamed.

Pittman was among more than 100 children in Gulf County who received bicycles or tricycles donated to them through the “Bikes for Boys and Girls of Gulf County” campaign, which culminated in the donating last Saturday morning at Lake Alice Park in Wewahitchka.

In its third year, the partnership between North Florida Child Development, Gulf Correctional Institution, the county Health Department and the Gulf County Sheriff’s Office has provided bicycles or tricycles to more than 400 youngsters in the county.

“They are going to be so excited,” said one mother, we shall call her Ms. Smith in order to not spoil a Christmas surprise, of her two young daughters, ages 3 and 5, as she carried the youngsters’ new wheels to her truck. “I’m excited. I didn’t know until they called me the other day. Now I need to figure out where to hide them.

“They are out playing right now so I’m hoping I can sneak them in, but the youngest is always into something.”

Each year bikes are donated to the drive and inmates at GCI refurbish them with materials – new parts, paint, etc. – donated by a number of county businesses.

The children are selected by teachers and administrators at the local schools, each elementary school asked to identify a child whose family might make good use of a boost for the under-the-tree items important to most youngsters’ celebratory Christmas.

The Health Department and Sheriff’s Office are on hand to provide free helmets for the children as well as some safety tips for riding.

This year, said Sharon Gaskin, executive director of North Florida Child Development (NFCD), the economy played a significant role.

The drive, which aimed for 200 bikes and trikes this year, fell short save for a happenstance conversation between organizer Jade Hatcher and another charity, which helped bring in a volume of bicycles.

And the demand for children in the youngest age group meant a need for more tricycles, which meant more cash outlay – trikes are not donated nearly as often as bicycles – and therefore a need for more cash donations.

“We had much more demand for the wee ones, and those ended up having to buy,” Gaskin said.

Again, community partners from throughout the county stepped forward.

“There are new bikes and refurbished bikes and the (inmates) do such a good job, you can’t even tell the difference,” Gaskin said. “It really has taken a community effort to make this happen and what a wonderful community we live in.”

Destiny McArdle certainly had no interest in whether her new bike was right out of the store or had been refurbished to appear that way. The only prerequisites she had were blue or orange, and by pure coincidence – only a parent or guardian is notified their child has been selected for a donation – Destiny’s bike was a nice burnt orange.

“I like the orange,” she said while waiting in line to be fitted for a helmet. “This is really my favorite color. I didn’t even know I was getting a bike until I got here…” as her voice trailed off and she gazed at her grandmother, a wide smile creasing her face.

Young Dakota Askew seemed almost in a fog as he and his family made their way to the line of bikes, his name designating the two-wheeler he would ride on Christmas Day.

Askew simply gazed affectionately at the bike, and patiently waited for his helmet, his eyes rarely letting go of the sight of the bike.

“This is cool,” he finally stammered after some prodding. “Thank you.”

As for Pittman, he left family behind as he and his new “Harley-Davidson” emblazoned bike were off for a ride around the park. Once he had been fitfully fitted for his helmet, Pittman was off after a few snapshots – Christmas had gotten rolling early.