Photos courtesy of Steve Baldwin. 42 bikes were collected in the span of a month.
Photos courtesy of Steve Baldwin. 42 bikes were collected in the span of a month.
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By Elena Stidham
news@thepaper24-7.com
In took a month, but in that time 42 children in Montgomery County were surprised with the epitome of childhood: a new bicycle.
On the surface, it seems like another gift to celebrate and enjoy in the warmer months, but hearts all across the county were warmed with the reality. The bikes had been donated by the inaugural Montgomery County Bikes for Kids, organized by husband-and-wife team, Steve and Suzie Baldwin.
After seeing a tweet in early November by Indianapolis radio personality Dan Dakich about a program, Steve Baldwin decided to reach out to local politician and Craig Reeves, executive director of the Montgomery County Boys and Girls Club. He asked if Montgomery County had such a program, only to find that there was no such thing.
That left Steve determined to make it happen.
“I honestly was hoping to get a couple of bikes for Crawfordsville, North Montgomery and Southmont,” Steve said. “Part of me is blown away by the support the community has shown. On the other hand, I’m not surprised because Montgomery County is made up of very giving people.”
Steve had made it very clear that it was other people who made everything possible in such a short time.
“I’ve been in Arlington, Va. on a temporary assignment for all of 2020. My wife, Suzie, a Fountain Central Jr / Sr High School English teacher, has been very instrumental in getting the bikes that I wasn’t able to get when I was home the week of Thanksgiving,” Steve said. “We had around 50 donors in Montgomery County. I also reached out to Jeff Carver, a Fountain Central alum and he and his friends in Fountain County raised enough funds to buy six bike packages.”
Steve also put together some volunteers to sit in on the Montgomery County Bikes for Kids board for 2021. The goal is to make this an annual event, so Steve explained they will be meeting in the “near future to hash all of that out.”
With the COVID-19 pandemic, many parents had been hit hard regarding finances, so Steve is hoping that making this annual will relieve some of their stress while also bringing smiles to children all across the county.
If you would like to take part in Montgomery County Bikes for Kids, Steve said to contact him at (765) 366-6929.