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Who doesn’t remember their first bike? The sense of a child’s new found freedom, when trying to learn how to ride, and the fun of riding alongside friends or family. Receiving that first bike is a childhood rite of passage, but unfortunately, not all children get the opportunity to have their own bicycle.

That’s where organizations such as the San Leandro Police Officers’ Association and the Davis Street Family Resource Center come in. This year, San Leandro Police Officer Louie Brandt, who has been running the Bikes for Tykes program for the last ten years, once again pounded the pavement and raised approximately twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00) from local businesses, such as the San Leandro Optimist Club, San Leandro Rotary Club, and San Leandro Breakfast Club, to purchase bicycles for children who would not otherwise be able to get one this holiday season. With the amount of money raised, Officer Brandt purchased two hundred twenty five (225) brand new bicycles from Walmart, who assembled all of the bicycles free of charge. Abbott Diabetes Care of Alameda donated one hundred twelve (112) bicycles and Turning Wheels of Pleasanton donated twenty three (23) bicycles. The Kiwanis Club of San Leandro also donated three hundred sixty bicycle helmets. The three hundred sixty (360) bicycles and helmets will go to children whose families are already enrolled in the Davis Street food distribution program. A lottery was set up to determine which of the more than 1,500 children enrolled in the program would receive the bicycles.

The bicycles are scheduled to be given away Saturday, December, 15, 2018 at the Davis Street Resource Center, located at 3081 Teagarden Street in San Leandro, from 9AM until 12PM. The media is encouraged to attend.