The Sumter Landing Bicycle Club, The Village Bicycle Club and the Panther Tandem Club joined forces Friday to help the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office assemble new bicycles and refurbish used bicycles.
Forty-one club members manned several stations at the Lake Miona Recreation Center parking lot.
A steady stream of cars, vans and SUVs unloaded bicycles all morning.
The first stop for the used bicycles was the cleaning station. Debbie Wise was busy washing a donated bicycle. The Village of Bonita resident moved to Florida’s Friendliest Hometown this past June.
“I really love it here. There is so much to do here every day,” she said.
Many Villagers brought their own specialized bicycle tools and stands to work on the dozens of new and used bicycles that generous residents brought to the parking lot.
Villager Dave Lawrence of the Sumter Landing Bicycle Club was very happy with the cash donations that Villagers had made as the clubs were able to buy a large number of bicycles sized for younger children.
“We bought almost every kid’s bike that the local Wal-Mart had in the store,” he said.
Several members of the sheriff’s office, under the supervision of Lt. Robert Siemer, were on hand to load the new and refurbished bicycles onto trailers and into vans.
“The bikes are being sent to four locations around the county,” Siemer said.
The bicycles were headed to the Sumter County Fairgrounds, Galaxy Home Solutions in Wildwood, Royal, and Croom, where the bicycles will be distributed to local children during Christmas parties.
The sheriff’s office is continuing to accept Christmas donations at the sheriff’s annex located at County Road 466 and Morse Boulevard in The Villages.