Donated bikes are unloaded at The Bike Shop of Spruce Pine.
Local kids who want a new bike can get one free.
Free outside of a little elbow grease, anyway.
Neighbors Feeding Neighbors food ministry recently donated 60 brand new bikes to The Bike Shop of Spruce Pine. They’re free to any kid who wants one, all they have to do is spend some time picking up trash in the community.
The idea for earning the bikes was a joint effort between The Bike Shop and Spruce Pine Police Chief Bill Summerlin, who said it will help kids learn the value of a dollar.
“They’ll understand the value of anything,” he said. “It’ll take a little bit of work.”
The process is simple. Any local kid is welcome to browse the selection of bikes— they’re all brand new with stickers still on the body and plastic on the tires.
They can pick any one they want. Once they do, they’ll be handed several orange trash bags with their names on them. Go out and fill them up with litter from the community, and the bike is theirs.
The Bike Shop is an afterschool program that lets kids get their hands dirty working on bikes with the aid of adult volunteers and the shop mechanic. Its Earn-A-Bike program lets kids work their way toward owning a bike by completing lessons in safety and maintenance.
The Bike Shop is at 11 Fairground St., Spruce Pine. Visit TheBikeShop.org or call 765-9182 for more information. The Bike Shop always accepts volunteers and donated bikes.
As the program to exchange bikes for trash pickup grows, Summerlin hopes it spurs a change in the way local kids view hard work and their role in their community.
The increased physical activity that comes with owning a bike is just icing on the cake.
“It’s a simple way to teach kids a really valuable lesson about their responsibility to the community and about hard work,” Summerlin said. “Plus, it’s a great way to get these kids active instead of sitting on the couch at home. We’re hoping this really takes off and these kids can make a tangible difference in our town.”