POMPANO BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida organization teamed up with Santa to give children some generous gifts this holiday season.
Acting on the spirit of the season, the annual Rick Case Bikes for Kids program is providing much needed relief during such a trying year.
7News cameras captured Santa Claus, jungle bells in hand, as he walked toward a row of bikes displayed at the Rick Case Habitat for Humanity community in Pompano Beach, Saturday.
It didn’t take long for the young recipients to take their new gifts out for a spin.
“You ready, Jase? Let it rip,” a grateful mother told her son, whose blue hoodie and face mask matched the bike’s color, just before he got on and pedaled away.
“Glory be to God. He was so happy,” said his mother. “He said, ‘I want the blue bike,’ and that’s what he received.”
Santa helped the Case family celebrate 38 years of Bikes for Kids, which distributes bicycles to children across Broward County.
“When I see these kids get a new bicycle, I think how much freedom I felt when I got my first bicycle,” said Rita Case, CEO of Rick Case Automotive Group. “It was just a great feeling. Your first bicycle, you’ll never forget your first bicycle.”
The giveaway was extra special for the Case family because it involved some of their Habitat residents. The 9-acre, 77-home neighborhood is largest Habitat for Humanity community in Broward County.
“To be standing here, December 2020, giving out these bicycles to these families here, we’re so excited with how successful this Habitat community has become,” said Case.
“When you see all of these families coming together — the kids playing together, the park — it takes you back to another time,” said Nancy Robin, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Broward, “a time of true community, of love, of hope, and today just embodies that.”
“Please, there’s still time. If you have a bicycle that you don’t need in your garage, or you feel like going out and buying a bicycle and dropping it off at the dealership — we have nine locations here in Broward County — we really would like to see you support the community,” said Case.
The Saturday surprise brought laughs and smiles during a year that has been filled with challenges and uncertainty.
“Regardless of the pandemic, we’re not going to allow it to steal our joy and steal our happiness and what Christmas is really about,” said the mother of the boy in the blue hoodie. “We thank you all so much.”
Bikes for Kids organizers are expected to deliver more than 6,000 bicycles to families across South Florida. For more information, click here.
WSVN is a proud supporter and sponsor of Habitat for Humanity.
Habitat for Humanity of Broward County
www.habitatbroward.org
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Miami
www.miamihabitat.org
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