December 21, 2006

TurningWheels for Kids Bike Build 2006 a huge success

1,000 needy kids to get surprise holiday gift

By Julie Davis Berry
Executive Editor

Hundreds of Santa’s elves turned out on Saturday, Dec. 16 at the San Jose Convention Center to participate in TurningWheels for Kids annual Bike Build. It was quite a logistical feat to coordinate hundreds of volunteers navigating the huge convention center and setting up building centers for a dozen different groups, but the payoff was worth it: 1,000 bikes for local needy kids.

Team Journey built a total of 20 bikes, with 14 volunteers building bikes from the south San Jose church. Photos by Nancy Yeager

“Every person there demonstrated what the holiday is about—giving and sharing,” said Sue Runsvold, founder of TurningWheels for Kids. According to the group Web site (www.turningwheelsforkids.org), the number-one requested gift item according to local social workers is a bicycle.

“At times we were fearful that not enough volunteers would show up and then we were afraid too many would show up!” Runsvold wrote on the site. “As it turned out, it was PERFECT. They all came and unloaded 1,000 bikes in record time, built bikes, carried cardboard, inflated tires, wiped bikes clean, transported bikes from one end of the Hall to the other—a tenth of a mile every trip, loaded trucks, and they did it all in record time.” Every bike went to a designated charity, which will turn it over to a very happy boy or girl in the coming days.

“It was very well organized,” said Nancy Yeager, coordinator of a group from the Journey Church. “It was amazing to see the volunteers all working together to get the boxes off the truck like an assembly line. It was really a feel-good type of event; Sharkie was there hugging the kids and people were all in a good mood. Even my 9-year-old put together two bikes all by herself. I was so proud of her! And, I’m glad she’s learning that helping others can be fun.”