Forty Villages bicycle club members pitched in to assemble and repair more than 500 bicycles Friday for the annual Sumter County Sheriff’s Office bicycle collection at Lake Miona Recreation Center.
Some Villagers were picking up used bikes from the surrounding area in an event that started at 7:30 a.m. and went into the early afternoon. As some members transported bikes from Villagers’ homes, others washed the bikes, put air in tires, test rode, adjusted, fixed used bikes and assembled several dozen new bikes.
Ten Sumter County deputies loaded the bikes into three trailers and transported the bikes to four sites in the county where the bikes will be distributed at Christmas events to area youths. In Wildwood, the Galaxy Home Solutions company welcomes residents to come to their holiday party where area children would receive bicycles. Webster Fairgrounds will have a Christmas party at the fairgrounds where children can receive a bike. Residents of Royal will distribute bikes at their holiday celebration. Bikes will also be distributed to children during the Christmas party in Croom-A-Coochee.
“The bike clubs have been great for our program,” said Sumter County Sheriff’s Captain Robert Siemer.
The bicycle clubs in The Villages have been collecting bikes for the past 24 years in a program which has become an annual tradition.
Ted Sharp of the Village of Fenney has been working the event for the past eight years and said the club members” really liked doing the event for the kids.”
Randy Pawlowski who lives in the Village of Tamarind Grove delivered his donation in his golf cart. Siemer helped him remove the bike from his cart and thanked him for the donation.
There is still time left to donate bikes or cash to the program. Bikes are still being collected at the Sumter County Sheriff’s Annex at County Road 466 at Morse Boulevard in The Villages.