The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office has announced the Sumter County Sheriff’s Bicycle Collection for 2021 will take place Friday, Dec. 3 at Lake Miona Recreation Center parking lot and picnic pavilion.
Area residents are asked to consider donating a bicycle or check to this annual program which benefits underprivileged residents in Sumter County. The bicycling community has successfully supported this effort for about 20 years.
As usual, the north end of the parking lot will be transformed into an outdoor bicycle drop-off and repair facility. Support from the three Villages cycling clubs is an essential part of this process (the Sumter Landing Bicycle Club, the Villages Bicycle Club and the Panthers Tandem Bicycle Club). The bicycles will be unloaded, washed, tires inflated, test ridden, minor repairs made (by volunteers from the cycling community) then the finished bikes are loaded onto trailers to be distributed to several locations by the Sheriff’s Office in time for Christmas. As always, coffee and snacks are available to “Santa’s helpers”.
Last year more than 300 bikes were delivered in time for the holidays.
Residents can drop off a bicycle any time at the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office on County Road 466 at Morse Boulevard. Limited “pick-ups” are available.
Questions? Call The Villages SCSO Office at (352) 689-4604 or email Dave Lawrence at daveridj@gmail.com
