VFW Post 2760 in Gadsden on Thursday gave away 140 bikes to local children and families, just in time for Christmas.
From noon to 4 p.m., VFW members helped kids pick out a bike and helped family members load them into vehicles to be taken home.
The giveaway, according to Ron Crane, quartermaster at Post 2760, is a way for the VFW to reach out to the community and help those in need. “I just think it’s great,” he said.
The inspiration for the giveaway came from the VFW’s participation in Toys for Tots a few years ago, when Crane said he and other members donated a few bicycles to the cause and were informed that the cause did not have the resources to distribute donated bikes in Etowah County.
So Crane decided to create a bike giveaway that would impact children in the county, and in 2016, the VFW gave away 37 bikes. This year, the goal was 100.
“Things got a little out of hand,” Crane said. The group surpassed that goal, and a total of 140 kids were registered to receive a bike Thursday.
Bikes of all sizes filled several parking spots outside of the post, and children present got to pick out the specific bike they wanted from their size group. Santa also paid a visit and Christmas music played from speakers set up near a booth serving hot dogs.
Cathy Rhodes had registered to receive seven bicycles for her grandchildren, and she said she was grateful for the VFW. “I just love everybody here,” she said.
Rhodes said she knows her grandchildren will be excited to get the bikes.
The VFW began fundraising for the giveaway earlier in the year, and Crane said Academy Sports & Outdoors in Gadsden had been a tremendous help when the post purchased all the bikes.
He said the group worked with local school counselors and used word of mouth to identify kids in the community who could use a new bicycle, and said he hopes it helps every kid in Etowah County have a merry Christmas.
This year, the VFW worked with Gadsden City Schools to find kids to distribute bikes to. Next, year, though, Crane said they plan to extend the giveaway to all of Etowah County.
In addition, he wants to see more bikes being given away, and the VFW plans to begin fundraising in January to do just that next Christmas.
“I want to see it double in size next year,” Crane said.