For the tenth year in a row, GCC members spent a day helping the Gainesville Police Department with the final tuning and cleaning of 50 bikes that were given to needy children for Christmas.
The bikes had been overhauled and repainted by inmates of the Gainesville Correctional Institution, in a program coordinated by Officer Bill Cross. This program provides more than 250 bikes each year to Hope for the Holidays, the Gainesville Police and other organizations that provide bikes to needy children and families.
The Gainesville Police Department Christmas Bike Program has been organized by Officer Henry Langston for more than 14 years. Officer Langston is a familiar face to GCC members, because he organizes the police escort that leads more than 250 cyclists from Morningside Nature Center out to US 441 at the beginning of our Horsefarm Hundred Century each year. Helping Officer Langston with the Christmas bikes is our way of saying thank you to Henry and GPD for chaperoning us safely.
Club members Nancy Groome, Linda McMahon, Marty Tod, Steve Sparks, Bud Jones, Chandler Otis and Steven Perz helped clean and tune bikes, and were recognized by the Gainesville Police with Certificates of Appreciation(call Chandler, he has the certificates). The Police presented a special award to Barry Gibbons for several years of service to the Christmas Bike Program.
Thanks to all GCC members who helped fix or donated bikes to this program. Please save any children's bikes you may have till next fall, when we start again on this worthy community project again. If you have questions or bikes to donate, please call Chandler at 377-1728.