TAMPA (WSVN) — A Tampa area kid couldn’t wait to ride his bike for charity, and he got the VIP treatment as he pedaled toward the finish line.
Eight-year-old Jacob Mucci just started riding a two-wheel bike 3 months ago, according to his parents. He was excited to participate in the Winter Wonder Ride fundraiser, a 7-mile course through downtown Tampa. The ride is a fundraiser that goes toward the purchase of bicycles for at-risk and foster kids.
His mother told Fox 13 her son was still working on getting used to riding without training wheels.
“He didn’t care that he was the very last rider of over 2500, mostly adult participants,” his mom April Mucci said. “He was just thrilled that he had police riding alongside him for the last stretch.”
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Two officers joined Jacob, encouraging him as he brought up the rear of the riders on the course.
“I asked him a couple of times during the ride if he wanted to turn back at any point and he insisted we go the distance,” Jacob’s father said.
His father took the video of his son as two Tampa Police Department officers rode rode next to him.
Jacob’s mother posted a thank you message to the police department on Facebook, saying, “This makes my heart swell. Thank you to these two Tampa Police Department bike officers and our entire law enforcement community for the kindness you show the children in our lives.”
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