Published: December 15, 2007 08:32 pm         

Bikes for Tykes sets record

More than 300 volunteers put together bikes

TERRE HAUTE — Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology’s Facilities Operations Center was transformed into Santa’s workshop Saturday with more than 300 volunteers putting together tricycles and bicycles.

A record number of 500 bikes were expected to be assembled for the Exchange Club of Terre Haute’s 9th annual Bikes for Tykes program.

Families throughout the Wabash Valley received the finished products from Perrysville to Vincennes and Cloverdale to Paris, Ill., said Dale Long, program co-chair.

Some of the organizations that received the bikes to distribute to families include the Salvation Army, Covenant Cooperative Ministries, Franklin Elementary School, West Vigo High School Ambassadors and Big Brothers/Big Sisters, he said.

“We made an effort to get the bikes to people throughout the Wabash Valley,” Long said, “not just Terre Haute.”

With each bike and helmet costing about $45, the grand total was around $20,000, he said.

Volunteers began to gather about 8 a.m. with the hope of having all the bikes put together and inspected by 11:30 so that deliveries could begin at noon.

Ryan Pepmeier, 21, of Vincennes has volunteered three times. He said he enjoys it because it allows him to provide a service for people that he might not have gotten to do otherwise.

“It’s a blast for me because it gets me in the Christmas spirit,” the Rose-Hulman senior said. “… It’s very, very amazing to see the little faces when the kids come in.”

Pepmeier, a Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity member, said a lot of students come out to help each year as part of community service for their respective organizations, but also because it’s a worthy cause.

Getting together like that also allows them to meet and talk with other students they wouldn’t get to talk to as much, he said.

Senior Natalie Noland, 21, of Washington said many people volunteer for this event every year. “It’s not harder than getting up for class,” the Delta Delta Delta sorority member said about getting up early to volunteer. “If you can get up for class, then you can get up to make a bike.”

She and about five other sorority sisters were at one table putting bikes together at a rate of about six minutes per bike.

Sophomore and Tri-Delta member Leah Howard, 19, of Thailand said the handle bars were the trickiest part because sometimes the wires get twisted.

Noland added, “You have to make sure the breaks are working so the little kids don’t hurt themselves.”

With more parts to add, members of the Triangle fraternity had a harder time putting together Buzz Lightyear tricycles.

Still, Andy Steward, 21, of Plainfield said the hardest part was staying out of each other’s way because so many people come to help.

Steward and his fraternity brothers didn’t rush through building the tricycles, choosing quality over quantity.

Last year, many people rushed through building all the bikes, said Tim Sliwinski, 21, of Parkridge, Ill., and then had to spend “forever” fixing them.

Something, they were trying to avoid.

Jared Stermole, 20, of North Ridgeville, Ohio said this is something he and his brothers look forward to every year.

Luis Bougrat, 21, of Franklin, Tenn., agreed and said the best part is seeing the children’s faces.

“We’re college students, so we don’t have money,” Bougrat said, so they donate their time instead.

“It’s fun, and it’s an event you can see what you did, you’re not just serving soup,” Steward said. “You can see the final product, 500 bikes in a row is pretty impressive.”

Crystal Garcia can be reached at (812) 231-4271 or crystal.garcia@tribstar.com.