Pinellas County non-profit gives deserving kids free bikes
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. - A financial planner nearing retirement started a non-profit to give back to kids in the community.
Randy Hallier has been a financial planner for 34 years, and he's in the business of helping people. He wants to spend his retirement years giving back.
Hallier tinkered with numbers his entire career as a financial planner, but now he's tinkering with bikes.
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"I grew up as one of the kids that we're giving the bikes to," said Hallier. "I grew up in an impoverished family."
Randy Hallier is giving back to the community with free bikes.
His childhood memories sparked an idea to pay it forward in retirement. With the help of his Pinellas County community, Hallie started his non-profit "Free Bikes 4 Kidz."
They provide free bicycles for deserving children.
"We refurbish them, repair them in most cases, and then turn them back on to the public to deserving kids and families all over the Tampa Bay area," Hallier explained.
That's the reason volunteer Danny Robl decided to help out.
"I like tinkering with things, and it feels good to give back to the community," said Robl. "Just feels good to make a lot of little kids happy."
"Free Bikes 4 Kidz" provides bicycles for all ages.
"Some kids are using them for transportation back and forth to school. Some are using them to get to part-time work and part-time jobs. So there's a very functional aspect of giving a kid a bike," Hallier said.
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There are bikes available fore all ages.
"From 3-year-old balance bikes, all the up to teenagers who are capable of riding adult size 26 and higher," Hallier said.
Pedaling his way into a new path of giving, Hallier has given away more than 600 bikes last year. His goal this year is to give away 1,000 bikes.
He said he can always use more volunteers. If you would like to lend a helping hand or need a bike, click here.