Norman Organizations Give Away 500 Bikes Ahead Of Holidays

As the holidays approach, many children hope to find a new bike underneath the Christmas tree. At the Young Family Athletic Center in Norman, three organizations teamed up to make that wish come true for hundreds of kids.

“I’m fortunate my kids ... they had bikes and all this,” said Candace Young with the Trae Young Family Foundation.

Another volunteer has a different story.

“I was there before, coming from humble beginnings,” said Willie Menifee, a limo driver with Prime Time Transportation.

Whether you’re like Young or Menifee, the desire to give back is the same.

On Sunday morning, their two organizations teamed up with A Butterfly's Touch to give away 500 bikes for free.

“Especially with the economy and how many people fell on financial burdens this year, you know, it ain't much, but it's something,” Menifee said.

There were no requirements and no questions asked at the event. Parents simply had to drive up with their child present and receive a bike for free.

Volunteers hoped the free bikes would provide relief for struggling parents and put a smile on kids' faces.

“Earlier we had a kid come through and he said God read my prayer,” Young said, explaining the little boy had asked for a bike for Christmas. “It’s something simple like that, like his day was made, his Christmas was made, and all we had to do is stand out here a little bit in the cold.”

She said it proves that even the smallest acts of kindness can have a big impact.

“I knew how much it meant for us to be in a situation where people were giving back to us when I was coming up,” Menifee said.

“This is what the season's about,” Young said.

The group says the bike giveaway will continue to be an annual event and they hope to give away even more bikes in the future.