December 16th will be the annual Bikes 4 Tykes drive in Midlothian.

From 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., everyone is encouraged to help Manna House wish many children a Merry Christmas this year by donating a bike. Attendees can also take pictures with Santa by the community Christmas tree in town.

Bikes 4 Tykes is a program dedicated to donating bicycles to underprivileged children during times of need, especially during the holidays. There are many organizations in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex working with children, schools, and other groups to donate mildly used, refurbished, or brand new bikes for the incoming holiday season. In many years, the organization has provided bikes to be distributed as presents, and this past year has been involved with several groups to provide bikes to disaster victims with both kids and adult bikes alike.

“This is a great cause,” CHISD 4th grader Dylan Knox said.  “There are many kids in my neighborhood that don’t have bikes, so it’s nice to see them be put to good use.”

By providing bikes to kids in need, Bikes 4 Tykes empowers children, fights childhood obesity and reduces the environmental impact. A bicycle gives a child his or her first test of true independence, self-reliance, self-esteem and a solid foundation for a healthy lifestyle. Bikes 4 Tykes also helps the environment by refurbishing gently-used, pre-loved bicycles to create a renewable resource from the millions of bicycles that are unused, abandoned, or discarded in overburdened landfills. Bikes for Tykes takes bicycles that would go into the landfill, refurbishes them, and also keeps bicycles out of our landfills.

Everyone is encouraged to attend the Bikes 4 tykes drive at Heritage park on December 16th.