GIFT OF PEDALING
50 bikes donated to children who are part of Boys & Girls Clubs in Kingston and Saugerties by CAN’d Aid Foundation and Craft New York
KINGSTON, N.Y. » After making a promise to always wear their helmets when riding, dozens of kids got to test out brand new bikes that were donated to them through the CAN’d Aid Foundation and Craft New York.
The 50 bicycles were donated Thursday morning to children who are part of the Boys & Girls Clubs in Kingston and Saugerties. Along with the bikes, each child received a new helmet.
Ulster County Clerk Nina Postupack, who is president of the board of Boys & Girls Club of Ulster County, said the organization was extremely grateful for the donation. She said 25 children from the Kingston unit and 25 from the Saugerties location were chosen to receive the bikes. The staff picked which children would get a bike, Postupack said.
“They really chose the kids based on the need for the bike,” Postupack said.
Kimberly Rejniak, general manager for Craft New York, said her organization is a beer wholesaler based in New Paltz. She said the staff did a fundraiser in which a $1 from every case of beer sold between April and June was earmarked for this donation to the Boys & Girls Club. Rejniak said they raised $7,000 for CAN’d Aid to purchase the bicycles and helmets.
“We were super excited to give back to the community in some small way,” Rejniak said. She said CAN’d Aid does a lot of philanthropic work and Craft New York was honored to partner with the organization.
Most of the children who received bikes were between the ages of 8 and 13. Each was called by name during Thursday’s event to receive their new “Razor Aggressor” bicycle and have their helmets fitted by a volunteer or an officer from the Kingston Police Department. Most then eagerly took their new bike for a test ride in the parking lot near the Boys & Girls Club on Greenkill Avenue.
Among the children who received a bike were Jamaine Hickman, 6, and his brother, Quincy McGraw, 8. Both said they liked their new bikes and Jamaine agreed he was excited to ride his.
Beau Ross, 8, said he also liked his new bike, but did not like that they all looked alike. He told his friends he was going to “pimp out” his bicycle.
Jeremiah Lockley, 11, said his old bicycle was way too small for him so he would definitely use his new one.
Sarah Leavitt, operations and program director for CAN’d Aid, told the children it took a lot of people working together to raise the money and build the bikes for them. She said, though, those people were excited to give back to the community and get those kids out riding.