’Tis the day after Christmas, I say in this poem, and all of these bicycles have found a new home.
In Clearwater, Everyday Hero host Bill Murphy met Tom George and his son, Christian. George owns several area sports bars.
Last Christmas, he learned about a special needs little boy whose family could not afford a bike for their son.
So George bought him one.
Then, 11-year-old Christian got involved.
“So my son turns around and says, ‘Well let’s buy some more presents for him,' George said. “So we bought some more presents for him. So we bought some more presents and when we delivered the bike to that child, his face was just lit up. And I remember my Christmas morning I got a bike and it was like, wow!”
Tom George believes every kid should have a bike. So began his Bike 4 Kids.
This is "Year One." The goal: 100 bikes. The day Murphy visited, they had 230.
George’s mom said "don’t forget the helmets!"
So he got them too.
Donations came from customers, employees and anyone else. And to make it more fun, George matched all that was contributed.
This is a father-son operation that George feels is also a learning experience for Christian and a reminder that many kids need a little help once in a while.
“He’s been my trooper. He’s been right there with me buying the bike’s every Sunday morning the last five weeks,” George said. “We’ve gotten up. We get a box truck. We went to the stores. Started buying bikes. We’ve assembled bikes. He’s been right there with me.”
The bikes went to foster and group homes in the areas that the money was donated. Some bikes also went to individual children, who got to experience that wonderful “I got a bike on Christmas” feeling.
“Oh, I’m not a hero,” George said. “Everybody that donated, who worked behind the scene, they’re the heroes. I’m just helping put it all together.