In January Bob’s Free Bikes partnered with Hopi Elementary School in Phoenix on one of the school’s bike events.  Planning for the event included preparing a bike for a little girl.

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Multiple Bob volunteers showed up to help out at the event.  As we were setting up, Terry and Mark remembered we had forgotten to bring the little girl’s bike.  Knowing we could not break the promise we had made to her, Terry and I got in my truck and drove back to Fountain Hills to get the bike.  On the way back to the event both of us were silently hoping that the girl had not arrived at the event when it first started, only to find her bike was not there.  But our hopes were dashed when Mark called and asked how much longer it would be before we got back to the event.  Terry asked if the girl was at the event and Mark said she and her Dad had been patiently waiting since the event started.

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When we arrived back at the event Terry unloaded the bike and we started walking it toward the front of the truck.  Almost simultaneously we looked at each other and said “I think I know which girl the bike is for”—her smile was unmistakable.  Terry presented the bike to the little girl and her Dad.  They walked the bike to the pavement and, despite the bike not having training wheels and the girl never having ridden a bike before, she got on the bike confidently.  She was ready!  Dad was holding the bike and when his daughter was ready they started off on their first bike lesson together, with the girl pedaling and the Dad walking along beside her, steadying the bike and offering advice when needed.

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Later that morning I learned that the Dad had offered to donate one of their existing bikes to Bob’s.  After the event I drove over to their home to get the bike.  As I drove up, the little girl with her new bike and an older sister, also with a bike, were in the front yard, with Dad on the porch.  After loading the donated bike in my truck, I started to drive down the street.  Looking in the rearview mirror, I saw the Dad and his daughter sharing their next bike-riding lesson.  The thought that came to my mind is that his daughter will remember this day for the rest of her life…