The St. Patrick’s Day Committee has sifted through a pile of applications, and has found that it will be able to buy first bicycles for a large number of children between the ages of 4 and 14.
“We’re excited,” said Beverly Durham, committee member in charge of public relations. “We are going to be able to buy bikes for about 70 kids.”
High Gear Cyclery & Fitness Equipment has discounted prices for the bikes, and the committee is working with Newman Regional Health to obtain helmets for each child.
The committee, which holds fundraisers through an extended St. Patrick’s Day season, donates the money to non-profit groups whose primary beneficiaries are children.
This year, the committee voted to give the fundraiser a new twist — providing first bikes to children whose families would not be able to afford the purchases.
Applications for bikes came through agencies that deal with children’s needs, including ECKAN Head Start, TFI Family Services, Big Brothers Big Sisters, area elementary schools and non-profit children’s advocacy agencies, Durham said.
The committee raised the funds from an auction, ticket sales for a Las Vegas getaway, T-shirts and other souvenirs.
Alisha Gibb of Strong City won the drawing for the Las Vegas trip, plus $300 in spending money. The prize was donated by Linda and Steve Corbin of the Town Royal and Mike Turnbull of Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral Home.
Winning parade entries, and their judging categories, were: Big Brothers Big Sisters, organization; Jackson-Hewitt Tax Service, business; The O’Burton Clan, family; and The Gilligan Family, committee’s choice. Each winning entrant received a plaque.
Last year, the St. Patrick’s Day committee donated $7,500 to the Peter Pan Park Playground project. Several committee members plan to be at the park for a building blitz to finish the project between April 30 and May 4.