It may be July, but Jack the Bike Man is ready to get rolling for Christmas.
"When you don't really get much of a Christmas, it's not beautiful, but it's a bicycle," he says.
For more than six years, Jack Hairston has fixed up bikes and handed them out to needy children around the area.
That's more than three thousand bikes and just as many smiles.
"It's really very special. I think it's special because my first bicycle was very special to me."
Jack is starting early and this year he's putting out the plea in July instead of in the fall. That gives him plenty of time to go to your house, pick up that old bike collecting dust in the garage, and bring it back to life. Jack says he needs as much time as possible to make this Christmas the biggest bike year yet.
"I'm not 30 anymore and it takes me a lot longer to work and there's a lot of work to do."
Some of the older neighborhood children help Jack re-build bikes. And in turn, one will become theirs.
"They learn to tighten up the brakes, and put new brakes pads on, they use a lot of oil, but they learn to put oil on the chains. So I need a lot of WD-40!"
Jack has a new plan this year. You can sponsor a bike, even have your name put on it if you want. Then Jack will send you a picture of the bike and the child who now calls it their own.
Over the last few years, Jack has battled health problems. He's had bikes stolen and his warehouse has been ransacked. He's even thought about leaving all this behind and retiring.
But Jack can't do it.
After all, if you could give this many smiles away every day, why would you ever stop?
If you'd like to help Jack the Bike Man, you can call (561) 863-1569.
