Robert Crane is handing out hundreds of bikes for the holidays after he gave up casinos to start a local nonprofit called Bob’s Bikes for Needy Kids.
Thank you to Bob’s Bikes for Needy Kids for sitting down with me. He gives out bikes Friday, Saturday and Sunday. You have to message his FB first. @8NewsNow https://t.co/POBoiQPPHC
— Ozzy Mora | News Anchor (@ozzy_mora) December 4, 2023
According to 8 News Now, Crane admitted his motivation is gratitude.
He said, “I used to sit in the casino and play poker, I haven’t been in a casino for seven years [and] I never had a machine hug me or say thank you.”
He started his charity over 10 years ago when his grandson needed a bike. Crane said, “My daughter didn’t have the funds herself to buy it.”
This set him on a mission. He refurbished a bike for him, but when the project was finished, Crane’s grandson didn’t need it anymore.
Crane decided to give the bike to another child in need. He stated, “I put it on Craigslist, had 80 replies in one hour.”
“And that’s when the lightbulb went off, kids don’t have bikes and that’s what started Bob’s Bikes,” he added.
This time of year is especially busy for Bob’s Bikes. He said, “For three weeks I’ve been going crazy,” and noted he handed out “22 bikes on Saturday alone.”
Crane’s only requirement is that the bikes he gives away are handed off in person.
“The child has to be here, I want to put that bike in a child’s hands,” he noted.
“I had people who pick up bikes, brought them home [and] the kids didn’t like them, they sat in the garage and threw them away,” he went on.
Crane explained this has not discouraged him and that, “I’m going to keep on doing this until the man upstairs says different.”
Families seeking a bike in Crane’s area can contact him via Facebook to set up a time to meet.