Bikes for Tykes Holds Grandest Event Yet in Florida November 9

Big Wheels for Little Wheels Motor Festival raises money to give bicycles to underprivileged kids

Naples, FL (MMD Newswire) November 7, 2014 – This Sunday, November 9, you have a chance to put a big smile on the face of an underprivileged child – and you get to have a whole lot of fun doing it, surrounded by antique, classic, and muscle cars, sports motorbikes and cruisers, custom bicycles, and a grand array of food, music, and vendors.The 20th Annual Bikes for Tykes extravaganza – the Big Wheels for Little Wheels Motor Festival – is happening at the Florida Sports Park at 8520 Rattlesnake Hammock Road in Naples (10:00 AM to 4:00 PM).

And it’s all for a good cause that doesn’t get nearly enough attention: giving bicycles to underprivileged children who would otherwise be facing a bleak holiday season.

Most kids who grew up in comfortable middle-class households can probably remember their first bicycle, and for many, that bright shiny new bike was posed beside a resplendent tree in the living room on Christmas morning. No doubt there were stacks of other presents under the tree as well, just waiting to be torn open – but the bicycle was the star of the show. Imagine being a child with parents who are too poor to buy any presents, much less a new bike. While the media are blasting nonstop toy and gift commercials, and the other kids at school are boasting about the treasures they anticipate scoring, less privileged children can only listen and wonder why Santa is passing them by again. That’s a reality for millions of kids across the U.S. and the world, and one South Florida man has made it his mission to rectify this sad situation, one kid and one bike at a time. Since 1987 Skip Riffle, through Bikes for Tykes, has been brightening the holidays for countless kids and their families.

“All year long, a small group of volunteers restore and repair hundreds of donated bicycles,” says Skip. “These bicycles are stored until Christmas and then donated to local children who wouldn’t otherwise have a bicycle or any Christmas present at all – NONE.”

Skip says he gives away 400+ bicycles each Christmas in South Florida, and many more through additional locations all over the world. He can give away 400+ bicycles with a tiny annual budget of about $5,000.

If you haven’t heard of Bikes for Tykes yet, you’re not alone, it hasn’t received nearly the attention or funding such an established and successful charity deserves. It’s not one of those trendy animal-rescue or devastating disease charities, and – so far, anyway – hasn’t been embraced by any Hollywood or major sports celebrities. Nevertheless, for nearly 30 years Skip Riffle has been steadfast in his mission to make kids happy and empowered – and healthy as well. He points out that his charity bolsters the fight against childhood obesity – and is a green initiative to boot, so it’s good for the health of the planet as well.

Actually Skip has been giving since he was an eight-year-old working with his father. The two of them would buy bicycles for children of poor families and put them at their front door at Christmas. Now through his charity, he can reach many more front doors and living rooms, and engender countless smiles.

Since previous years’ fundraisers have been a little disappointing, Bikes for Tykes is pulling out all the stops to put on the biggest and grandest event ever to be held at the Florida Sports Park. Bikes for Tykes urges everyone who can to come out and support this very worthy cause. “And if you can’t make it for the Big Wheels event, you can still donate to the cause,” says Skip. Information about how you can get involved is on the Bikes for Tykes web site.

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Additional details are available in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bco1gA7Wq-o#t=22

The 27-Year History of Bikes for Tykes: http://www.bikesfortykes.org/about-us/history

Press Release Source: Todd Pree