Wheels for Kids

Christmas spirit and Universal bike enthusiasts converged on Cannondale in a wonderful way. Last Wednesday night a big group of volunteers washed, mechanically checked/overhauled and detailed over 50 juvenile bikes in one evening. Soap and water flew, wrenches spun at six work stands. People used to working on Campagnolo with kid gloves fixed Huffy’s with slip joint pliers… and had a blast doing it.

These 50 bikes will become Christmas gifts for kids of local Danbury families in need.

This effort supported the Wheels for Kids program of Danbury Youth Services, a program that was almost discontinued before Cannondale kicked in $1600 to run it for the 2008 holiday. Since then the activity, accomplishment and outpouring of support has been just awesome.

Schwalbe donated new 20” rubber. Thanks Celeste and Schwalbe.

Bethel Cycles kicked in a supply of juvenile inner tubes. Thanks Greg.

Tom Tomassen, the Program Director for Wheels for Kids managed the collection of all the donation of bikes, all year. Tom and his son had personally overhauled many bikes this season on their own to keep the program alive. Thanks Tom and Sean.

For more pictures and another perspective, check out the post on Cyclesnack.com.