Laveen father and son helping those in need to get a bike
PHOENIX (KSAZ) - Remember how cool it was to get your first bike, and how devastating it was when something happened to it? A West Valley man is helping kids own a bike, and it doesn't cost them a thing.
In a garage in Laveen, Roman Navarro and his son, Angel Raya, have been fixing up donated bikes and then giving them to people who need them.
"It feels great, because [it's] making another little kid happy," said Raya.
They got the idea from a man in Mesa who is doing the same thing. Navarro launched his Facebook page, called Givinbak, and started fixing up bikes to give to people in need. He estimates they've given away hundreds to kids who have either never had a bike, or someone stole their bike, or they lost it, like a recent 9-year-old who lost his bike at a Phoenix park.
"Drew a bike on a piece of paper and wrote out that he lost his bike and would anyone return it," said Navarro. "He was going to distribute those around to try to find his bike. That was an amazing story to be able to give him, and he was ecstatic with the bike that we gave him."
A full time City of Phoenix employee, Navarro has joined with a non-profit called WE-CYCLE-USA to expand the operation, and bring more bikes to kids and adults in need. One day, Navarro hopes to have a shop filled with donated bikes, where kids and adults can come.
"And pick a bike, fix their own bike, learn how to repair it, learn how to take care of it, and it's theirs," said Navarro.
Givinbak BIKES We Cycle Usa Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/Givinbak-BIKES-We-Cycle-Usa-230891657459460/
WE-CYCLE-USA Website
https://wecycleusa.org/