UVALDE, Texas — Around 800 children in Uvalde received a free bike on Saturday after months of planning and fundraising.
The donation was made possible through the efforts of the cycling community, including Austin's, along with Lance Armstrong, Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop and others. A total of $270,000 was raised for the project.
The goal was to provide each Uvalde elementary student with a bicycle before they returned to school in an effort to give each child a "sense of normalcy, freedom and fun."
On Saturday morning, Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin, UCISD Superintendent Hal Harrell, Armstrong and others were present to see the bikes handed out.
Children and families were paired with a volunteer to guide them through the bikes as they picked out their favorite before crews with Mellow Johnny's made any adjustments. Children were also given helmets, locks, stickers and a school supply box.
The fundraiser kicked off in July with the help of The Move, WEDU and others. The goal was to raise $230,000 by tapping into the world-famous Tour de France. The initial amount was surpassed in the first half of the monthlong coverage of the race.
Mellow Johnny's was able to secure 800 bikes at a discounted rate, despite the bicycle industry facing unprecedented demand amid supply chain issues, according to a release.
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It took volunteers two weeks and countless hours to unbox and build the bikes in Austin before being loaded up and taken to Uvalde in trailers volunteered by H-E-B, according to the media release.
"I'd like to thank all the donors, volunteers, organizations and supporters who made this possible," Armstrong said. "The need for these efforts is tragic, and as we all know, there will be long-lasting effects on this community. Hopefully, everyone who came out today felt the love and support that was at the core of the effort, and hopefully these bicycles continue to give each child hope and joy moving forward."
Organizations that helped with the project included Operation Get Out, Wish for Wheels, SkiDock and others.
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