Youngsters raise thousands to buy new bikes for Cheer Fund: Fifth annual ride Oct. 20

Two siblings are building on efforts that have generated thousands of dollars to buy new bicycles for the Columbus Firemen’s Cheer Fund gift distribution at Christmas.

The fifth annual Friendship Wheels event will begin at 1 p.m. Oct. 20 starting at Columbus Fire Station 2, 2376 Arnold St., near the Columbus Municipal Airport.

Siddha Hall, 13, and Solomon Hall, 12, are in charge of the event, said Andrea Hall, their mother. She helped the siblings start the family bike ride when they were young elementary school students.

The family lives in Seymour now, but started out organizing the bike ride while living in Columbus, Andrea Hall said. Family members continued it because they believe strongly in the Cheer Fund’s mission, she said.

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In the past four years, the Friendship Wheels Bike Ride has raised about $10,000, which has been used to buy more than 120 new bikes to distribute to children from at-risk families in Bartholomew County.

Siddha and Solomon hold back several hundred dollars from the purchase of bikes each year from Walmart, which provides a discount, to work with Bicycle Station in Columbus to buy items to deck out the bikes — adding streamers, bells and lights, among other items.

Siddha and Solomon said both love riding bikes and they want all kids to have one of their own.

They have kept an original registration form from their plan to start a bike camp five years ago, and said they know their mother thought they meant to start a pretend event in their backyard. They launched the bike ride with friends Ty and Cameron Greathouse, who have since moved away, but still volunteer for the event.

Describing the event as one started by kids to help other kids, the siblings have set up their own Facebook page and provide for online registrations and donations. Originally the bike ride was a dollar amount per wheel, which generated some additional money from strollers and tricycles, but now the family just charges $6 a rider and also seeks donations from area businesses and clubs.

They have had corporate sponsors for the ride in the past and are looking for one this year, they said.

The siblings start working on the Friendship Wheels event in July, preparing promotional posters, directional signs and putting together donations for a snack stop halfway through the three miles.

Columbus firefighters volunteer to help with the event, and Siddha and Solomon said at least 40 people are needed to help out the day of the ride for safety reasons.

Firefighters and their families have been riding in the event, and also volunteering as needed, said Columbus firefighter Ben Noblitt, who leads the Cheer Fund effort.

Many times firefighters ride toward the back so they can stop to help anyone who might need medical or other assistance on the ride. Firefighters used a fire engine as a pace car for the bike ride one year.

Noblitt described the siblings’ efforts as special and impressive.

“Each year, we meet the kids at the west-side Walmart, and we have a truck out back,” Noblitt said. “It’s really something to see their faces light up when they see all the bikes lined up.”

In addition to buying the bikes, Noblitt said the expertise that Siddha and Solomon have about what type of bike a certain Cheer Fund recipient might like is invaluable.

“They know how to match the ages of kids to bikes,” he said.

There is no set goal for each bike ride, other than to exceed the year before, Solomon said. That means this year’s goal is to raise more than $4,000 and be able to buy more than 52 bikes, which would exceed last year’s record-breaking year.

The siblings’ involvement doesn’t stop at dropping off the bikes at the Cheer Fund for distribution at Christmas time, their mother said.

Each year, they help out with packing the Cheer Fund delivery boxes, watching the bikes they have provided being prepared for delivery to homes around the area.

The family accompanies two or three of the boxes out on the deliveries, Andrea Hall said.

“My favorite part is going on the deliveries and seeking the faces of the little kids,” she said. “Every kid should be able to get a new bike.”

Columbus firefighters had to do some quick thinking when Siddha and Solomon were younger, explaining the mystery of how the bikes were being delivered through the Cheer Fund and not the usual way, by Santa.

“The firefighters explained to Siddha and Solomon that sometimes people have to be Santa’s helpers, and that’s what everyone was doing with the bikes,” their mother said.

After the bike ride is over, the siblings send a personalized thank-you card with a photo of Siddha and Solomon to those who help with Friendship Wheels, which shows their progression from young elementary students to middle schoolers today.

The siblings said they could not do the ride without them, or without the firefighters support.

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What: Fifth Annual Friendship Wheels Family Bike Ride

When: 1 p.m. Oct. 20; arrive at 12:30 p.m. to register, volunteers arrive at 12:15 p.m.

Where: Columbus Fire Station 2, 2376 Arnold St.

How much: $6 per rider

Who it benefits: Money raised from the bike ride is used to buy new bicycles and accessories which are donated to the Columbus Firemen’s Cheer Fund for distribution to underprivileged children at Christmas time.

How to register: Go to the Friendship Wheels Family Bike Ride signmeup page at signmeup.com/127830 or visit the event’s Facebook page.

For more information: Contact 812-375-4808 or send an email to [email protected].

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The Friendship Wheels family bike ride is seeking sponsorships and donations. If you are interested in donating to the event or providing other support, call 812-375-4808 or email [email protected].

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The Columbus Firemen’s Cheer Fund is the oldest charity in Bartholomew County that depends solely on public donations for its existence. It is one of several efforts within the Columbus community at Christmas to provide the needy with useful gifts and a meaningful experience.

The Firemen’s Cheer Fund was founded by the Columbus Fire Department in 1930, when some caring firemen realized that poor children probably see few, if any, gifts under a Christmas tree. The Cheer Fund assists more than 2,000 children with gifts and conducts fundraisers throughout the year.

For more information, visit columbus.in.gov/fire/programs-events/cheer-fund/.

Source: City of Columbus

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