Pictured from left to right: PFC Colby Shaw; PFC Jared Cooney; Wesley Meridith, Charles Sidwell, Mike Cordova, Nick Tesi, Benny Budd, Theresa Richardson, Chris Richardson and Cpl. Don Kabala pause for a photograph before continuing to prepare for their special delivery of new bicycles. [Click image for larger rendition]
LA PLATA, Md. (January 20, 2011) — While the elves were busy at the North Pole building toys for Santa’s big night last month, the employees at Bike Doctor in Waldorf were busy with a similar project: building bicycles for the Charles County Sheriff’s Office’s annual Christmas bicycle giveaway.
For 12 years, the Sheriff’s Office and Bike Doctor have worked together to provide children of low-income families with a new bicycle for Christmas. Bike Doctor ordered and assembled — or, in some cases, reconditioned — the bicycles at no cost. Then, on Dec. 21, Cpl. Don Kabala and Officers Jared Cooney, Patrick Mann and Colby Shaw of the Sheriff’s Office’s School Resource Unit delivered the bikes to unsuspecting children or to parents who wanted to keep the special gift a surprise until Christmas morning. This year, the program gave away 31 bicycles.
“There are families in our community who struggle to put food on the table and for them, buying a bicycle for their children is simply not an option,” said Sheriff Rex Coffey. “Being able to help some of those families at Christmastime each year is really important to us and all of us at the Sheriff’s Office are really grateful to Bike Doctor because without their generosity and community spirit, this giveaway wouldn’t happen.”