Hunter’s Holiday Bike Drive at Rolling Cowboys Bicycle Shop
Local resident and 6th Grade Saint Brendan School student Hunter Campen demonstrates his community service vision once again this year, with Hunter’s Holiday Bike Drive. The drive takes place on Saturday, December 5th, from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at Rolling Cowboys Bicycle Shop. Bike donations will be accepted the entire week, though, starting Monday, November 30th through Saturday, December 5th, during normal business hours – Mon-Fri: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sat: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sun: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Please join Hunter, and drop off any bikes you may have, that are in need of a new home, at Rolling Cowboys during the drive week. A tax receipt will be provided.
Rolling Cowboys Bicycle Shop, now in its new location at 1021 S. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90019, has generously agreed to partner with Hunter on this. The shop’s staff will be repairing and refurbishing the donated bikes, so they can be distributed to deserving children in need…just in time for the holidays.
“Each of our kids has sought different ways to contribute to the community,” said Hunter’s father, Chase Campen, “and for Hunter, it was natural that it would revolve around sports…Hunter is really into sports.”
Hunter’s Holiday Bike Drive is an extension of an idea Hunter and Chase came up with last year, when cleaning out their family’s garage. They found some sports equipment Hunter no longer used, which was still in decent condition. They wanted to find new homes for it, and Hunter’s Sporting Goods Drive was born. Hunter and Chase spread the word and had huge success in gathering gently used sports equipment from families in the neighborhood. “The community supported the drive tremendously,” said Chase, and “we collected a truck full of goods.” Then they donated the items to the Siemon Family Youth & Community Center in South Los Angeles, among other youth centers and schools.
After some resource investigation for their first-time drive, Hunter and Chase found that the Salvation Army would donate collection trucks and help with distribution. Saint Brendan School, where 11-year old Hunter is now in 6th grade, agreed to have the drive on campus last year. The Wilshire Rotary also joined in to find local schools that could benefit from the sports equipment.
During the sporting goods collection process last year, Hunter encountered several families who were interested in donating used bicycles. But he didn’t have a resource in place at that time to repair and refurbish the bikes to make them viable for donation. This year, thanks to Rolling Cowboys Bicycle Shop, that issue has been resolved, and Hunter’s Holiday Bike Drive has become a reality.
“I’m doing a bike drive because I love biking, and I think kids who don’t have bikes should get the experience of riding one, and having one of their own,” shared Hunter.
Hunter and Chase expect to receive a good number of bicycles on December 5th. ”The next challenge will be finding a good home for all of them.” said Chase. ”We are distributing some of them to Aviva Family and Children’s Services, and are also in contact with local schools, Boys and Girls Clubs and the Salvation Army. If you know of a family or person who could benefit from one of these refurbished bicycles, please let us know!”
Do you have an old bike you would like to donate?
Original post on the Larchmont Buzz, November 25, 2015
