By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

Organizers of Bikes for Kids program inspired by community response to theft

Oct 23, 2018 | 1:01 PM

NANAIMO — After lowly thieves took the air out of their tires, organizers of a Nanaimo program providing bikes for children in need are reinvigorated by support from the community.

Nanaimo RCMP said thieves “stooped to a new low” when they pilfered upwards of 40 bikes from a storage facility earlier this month. The bikes belonged to the Bikes for Kids program, run by the Nowik Mortgage Team. The operation takes unclaimed bicycles from local RCMP, fixes them up and donates them to children who can’t afford one.

Myles Nowik said the theft was a blow and felt like an attack on their efforts to help the community. But weeks later, Nowik said the response to coverage of the break in has “repaired the hurt” and they’ve replaced at least half of the stolen inventory thanks to new donations.

“The reaction and support has been amazing…To see the community come together to try and recoup the lost bikes and raise awareness of the program has been inspiring. We’ve had lots of support from people we’ve never even met. It’s been really cool to see Nanaimo come together to support this cause and fix the damage that was done.”

Over the last two years, the Bikes for Kids program has seen over 200 local children receive a bike when they wouldn’t otherwise have one.

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Nowik said turning a negative experience into one so positive was reinvigorating.

“It definitely has inspired us to keep doing what we’re doing. Seeing everyone come together and seeing the enjoyment of not only the people receiving bikes but the people that are donating them, the smiles on their faces and how happy they are to give back to their community, it’s definitely stoked the flames on this.”

Nowik said they are planning to hold a bike exchange event by the end of the year. The majority of the bikes the team collects from RCMP are for adults, so people are encouraged to donate two or three children’s bikes in exchange for an adult model.

To donate to the program and keep up to date on future exchange events, check the Nowik team’s Facebook page.

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