BOISE, Idaho — This is one of my favorite stories to cover every year because of the look on the kids faces when they receive a brand new bike from the Boise Bicycle Project.
This marks the 16th year of this holiday tradition as throughout the year this non-profit relies on the community to bring in their old bikes so hard working volunteers can refurbish them into new bikes for children.
"Jayden do you want to tell him what you think of your bike," asked Jayden's mother. "I love my bike, I love my bike," replied Jayden.
This year came down to the wire as the engineers were working well into Friday night to finish all the bikes for the kids that they build based off drawings by the children, Jayden's bike was the last one to be designed.
"It came in as a very wild picture, it had a roof, two baskets and everyone was kind of afraid to touch it," said Ralph Mugot of the Boise Bicycle Project. "I just really want to take on that challenge, the kid has imagination and I like it."
A total of 580 kids got new bikes this Christmas as it wasn't very hard to spot the smiles this project brings to the kids and the volunteers who work so hard to make it happen.
"That probably just made her whole year," said Mugot. "It makes me feel good, 16 years of wrenching on bikes and that is the outcome of it."
A new bike means so much to a kid, many of whom have never ridden a bike before, but even though I'm in my forties I often still consider myself a kid on a bike as that two-wheeled vehicle has taken me to so many amazing places.
"She is so excited this is a new found freedom for her to be able to go out and ride her bike," said Jayden's mother. "We are super impressed, in fact next year we are going to back and volunteer."
To really capture this story check out the video and if you have bikes you can donate it means a lot to the kids this time of year, the Boise Bicycle Project is located near downtown and the Boise State campus.
