Orangeburg Dept. of Public Safety gives away dozens of bikes to children for Christmas
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Dozens of children in Orangeburg received new bikes from the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety Tuesday.
The Department of Public Safety refurbished donated bikes and gave them to 38 kids as part of their Christmas donations.
It was an emotional day for the officers giving the bikes and the children and family receiving them. One Orangeburg grandfather was so happy to see his grandchildren receive the gifts, he couldn’t stop smiling.
“They was excited and it’s a blessing y’all are out here doing this for the kids,” he said.
This is an extension of the public safety’s “Working for Wheels” program where officers give refurbished bikes to students throughout the year for making good grades and having good behavior.
Children of all ages got to test them out, pick their very own bikes, and meet some police officers in the process.
“This gives them a chance to see police officers in a different light, especially the young people coming through being able to get close to them and shake their hands. And they give them encouragement,” Orangeburg Mayor Michael Butler said.
The city also gives bikes to adults to use for transportation and Officer Lucas says they are always looking for donations.
“We take bikes all the time. We run outta room, then we’ll make room,” Arney Lucas with the Department of Public Safety said.
Families thanked the fire department and public safety officials for organizing “Working for Wheels,” and in addition to the 38 bikes given away Tuesday, 15 more are available to give away in time for Christmas.
The Orangeburg Department of Public Safety says it doesn’t matter what condition a bike is in, they will take it to refurbish.
If you’d like to give a bike to the city for their “Working for Wheels” program, just drop it off at the Department of Public Safety.
Copyright 2021 WIS. All rights reserved.
Notice a spelling or grammar error in this article? Click or tap here to report it. Please include the article’s headline.
