MIKES Bike Shop in Palatine is proud to announce the kick-off of its 12th annual Bikes for Needy Kids program. With help from the Palatine Township Assistance Office and the community donating their slightly used bikes, the MIKES Bikes Shop staff is able to clean, refurbish, and distribute bicycles to needy families in the Palatine area. Although bikes of all sizes are welcome, they really need bikes for little boys and girls. The children’s smiles are priceless.
The idea for this program came to Wayne Mikes, owner of MIKES Bike Shop, when several customers mentioned they had bicycles their children outgrew in their garages. Wayne thought there are probably a lot of unused bikes stored in garages and that they could be put to good use. Adults without cars could use them for transportation and children would gain a freedom that is created by being able to pedal your own bike.
Past recipients of the recycled bikes are the Palatine Opportunity Center, Good Hope, Inner City Church, orphanages, boys and girls clubs, and missionaries. The main focus of distribution is local, but some bikes end up at an international destination.
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If you have a bike that is not being used, please bring it to MIKES Bike Shop anytime during regular business hours from now until Thanksgiving Day. Your support of this very worthy cause helps keep bicycles out of landfills and in the hands of people that can really use a bike.
