Two local storage companies have come to the aid of the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office this holiday season.
Sheriff Bill Farmer began an outreach program several years ago to collect bicycles, gifts and Christmas decorations for disadvantaged Sumter County youth. As the program has grown, its success created a storage problem.
This year, 340 bicycles were collected at the sheriff’s annex at County Road 466 and Morse Boulevard. The majority of the bicycles were collected by Villages cycling clubs, which began their drive in November. Last week, the cycling clubs, with the help of mechanics from Villages Cycles and Dave’s Cycles in Wildwood, helped get the bicycles in good working order.
Southern Self Storage at 4150 County Road 466 and Compass Self Storage at 4477 East County Road 466 donated storage as the need arose.
Mark Eatherton, general manager at Compass, said the company provided three 10 foot by 20 foot units to house some of the bicycles. Compass also provides storage for Project SOS (Support Our Soldiers), the Warriors dragon boat team and the Pop Warner youth football league.
Southern Self Storage also provided two large storage units for the bicycles, decorations and presents collected by the sheriff’s office.
Ginger McGill of Southern Self Storage has helped the sheriff’s office out for the past four years. She has witnessed the impact the program has had on area youth, as she has two children in the Wildwood school system. She has witnessed how students react at their Christmas parties when they receive a bicycle. Southern also provides a free parking space in their large 13-acre storage facility for the Toys for Tots collection vehicle year round.
“Without the generosity of these companies, the sheriff’s bike and gift program would not be able to reach as many kids and families as they are today,” said Lt. Robert Siemer.
He described how one 14-year-old shed tears when she received a bicycle. When Siemer asked her why she was crying, she said that she had always wanted a bicycle and now she had to find someone to help teach her how to ride it.
