AUSTIN, Texas — The Lorraine "Grandma" Camacho Activity Center had thousands of dollars' worth of bikes stolen from the site on Sunday.
Cycling in triple-digit heat isn't top of mind for many, but stealing bikes was a top priority for some thieves this weekend.
"It's definitely going to have an impact on us," said Jessica Gilzow, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department's Culture and Arts Education manager.
According to the city of Austin, someone broke into the center and stole 16 bikes valued at $25,000 – bikes that Gilzow said many kids in the community learned how to ride on, through various youth cycling programs and outreach initiatives.
The center has provided resources to the community for decades.
"All the way from learn to ride, up to a mountain biking team for teens, and a lot of the teens go through the entire program. They also do biking for families," Gilzow said.
A social media post on the center's page asks for the Holly-area community to check their cameras for a possible trailer leaving the facility between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday morning.
The city said it's making security improvements to the building. In the meantime, bike activity schedules will continue but will be altered until the bikes are replaced.
"Our goal is to replace them as quickly as possible, but it does take time because they are specialized bikes," Gilzow said.
The good news is because it's so hot outside, the bike programs won't start back up until the fall, giving the program time to recoup.
The center is accepting donations.