Two Local Businesses To Hold Bicycle Drive Benefitting Students in Need, Sept. 12

Farmington Hills-based The Shirt Box, the store-of-choice for men’s fashions, and Walled Lake-based Kenny’s Lakes Area Auto Experts (Lakes Area Auto Experts), a vehicle repair shop, will hold a bike drive at their respective shops Sat., Sept. 12. The donation day will benefit Back Alley Bikes (BAB), located in Detroit, who will put the bicycles in the hands of students in need this school year.

Bikes of all sizes and conditions, as well as new bike helmets, will be accepted.

Founded in 2000, BAB, a 501(c)3, is a community bike shop and repair and resource center that provides cycling education and services with a focus on youth development, sustainable practices and community access. The organization accepts donations of used bikes of any type, style and condition for its Earn a Bike program for youth ages 10 to 17. There, participants learn how to fix the bike, which they then keep. Alternatively, for children under 10, the nonprofit will repair the bike prior to the donation. Last year, nearly 400 bikes were given to families or earned by youth.

“We cannot thank The Shirt Box and Kenny’s Lakes Area Auto Experts enough for hosting this bike drive,” said Mari Anzicek, operations and communications manager, Back Alley Bikes. “Everyday we get to see how youth are not only transformed by having their own bicycle but also through learning the skills needed to maintain them. I know many students in Detroit will be extremely thankful for the donations.”

The Shirt Box is located at 32500 Northwestern Hwy. and will be open Sept. 12 from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Lakes Area Auto Experts is at 490 North Pontiac Trail and will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to accept donations.

After Sept. 12, Walters will gather the bikes from both locations and deliver them to BAB. While many bikes will be used at the beginning of the school year, others will be repaired and donated in the months that follow.

“As thousands of youth head back to school, we want to ensure that we get bikes into the hands of kids who need them most,” said Ron Elkus, co-owner of The Shirt Box. “We are looking forward to filling our store with bikes of every size.”

Added Kenny Walters, owner of Kenny’s Lakes Area Auto Experts, “Having a bike can make the difference between going to school or not. I hope metro Detroiters take this opportunity to look through their garages and basements and finally clear out those bicycles that have been gathering dust for years!”

For more information on the event, please call The Shirt Box at 248-851-6770 or Lakes Area Auto Experts at 248-668-1200.

The event also is supported by Detroit-based Southwest Rides.

About The Shirt Box
Celebrating more than 30 years, The Shirt Box has been the store-of-choice for men’s fashions. Trendsetters will find an extensive merchandise assortment of men’s furnishings, corporate casual wear and business wardrobe classics. Men’s footwear, accessories and gifts round out the assortment. The shop is located at 32500 Northwestern Hwy., Farmington Hills, Mich. 48334, (248) 851-6770. Visit The Shirt Box on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shirt-Box/200715706615769.

About Kenny’s Lakes Area Auto Experts
For 15 years, Kenny’s Lakes Area Auto Experts, formerly Mufflers & More, has been providing professional inspections, repairs, and preventative maintenance services to all makes and models of vehicles, including foreign vehicles. The full service auto repair shop is located at 490 North Pontiac Trail, Walled Lake, Mich., (248) 668-1200. Visit online at LakesAreaAuto.com, Facebook at www.facebook.com/Lakesareaauto or on Twitter @LakesAreaAuto.

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Photo via Flickr