Channel: CBS 12
Date posted: October 28, 2011
West Palm Beach, FL - The holidays are still two months away, but one West Palm Beach man is already starting to worry. His name is Jack Hairston, but everybody just calls him Jack the Bike Man.
Jack runs a non-profit that accepts donated used and new bikes, fixes them and gives them away. He has several hundred used bikes that've been cleaned up and repaired by volunteers. All the bikes will be given out to needy children about a week before Christmas.
However, Jack tells CBS 12 as the holidays grow closer and closer, he is looking at a shortage of bikes. His goal is to have 700 to 800 bikes to give out to kids. But this year he's about 300 bikes short.
The hope is that there are generous people in the communtiy who will hear about his plight, and donate enough bikes so he will get the 300 he needs in time for the holidays.
"The economy has not jumped back the way a lot of people, myself included, would have wished. And there are many many people who are not gonna have a lot of extra money for Christmas," said Jack.
He worries in December he'll have lots of kids hoping for a bike, but he may have to turn some away, unless more bikes are donated soon in time for the holidays.
"All of the kids who are gonna get them are kids who really need them," said Jack.
At this time each year Jack always frets over the need for bikes, because he doesn't want to disappoint all the kids out there on Christmas morning who otherwise won't get a bike.
"I'm always worried about it, but you know I can't control it. I can't go out and write a check and buy hundreds of bikes, so I just leave it in the hands of the community," said Jack.
Jack says he also could use cash donations and new bike helmets, because he gives each child a helmet when they get their bike. He also could use volunteers to repair or clean bikes.
