Children across St. Petersburg gifted with new bicycles just in time for Christmas
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - From toddlers to teens, more than 100 children in St. Petersburg will have bicycles for the holidays this year. It is all thanks to a local man whose hobby is helping others.
There were 117 brand-new bikes packed tightly in the back of a 26-foot Uhaul truck. All were gifts for local kids, and donated by people they never met.
Alex DeJesus started the effort back in 2019 after seeing a St. Pete police officer buying a bike and offering to pay for it.
"He had loaned his bike to a teenager who couldn’t make it to school," DeJesus recalled, "and he promised her if she continued to go to school he would buy her a bike."
That got his wheels turning, inspiring DeJesus to start his own campaign to buy bikes for needy children in the area. One post on social media got things rolling.
"I posted on Facebook and my buddy Mike and a couple other friends said ‘Alright, I’ll match that,’ or, ‘I’ll double that,’ or, ‘I’ll triple that,’ and here we are," he explained.
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The effort has grown each year, but the goal remains the same: strengthening relationships between the police and the community.
"They don’t see this uniform or that police car as a negative thing. It turns it into a positive thing and that’s what we want," said Police Chief Anthony Holloway. "We want people not to run away from the badge but to run to the badge and that’s what we’re getting with this."
Each bike comes with a helmet and lock and is paired with a child or family who could use a boost for the holidays. Victim advocates, local leaders, and officers who patrol the streets help make the matches.
"It was really heartwarming to be able to sit there and give a bike to a child in need," said Officer Doug Dilla.
Next December, DeJesus hopes to make even more kids smile, with a larger goal for his grassroots goodwill.
"I think we’re going to try for 200."