By Steve Huffman
shuffman@salisburypost.com
Christmas came two days early for a host of Rowan County children.
On Tuesday, officers with the Salisbury Police Department gave Santa a helping hand, delivering new bicycles to 80 youngsters.
The bikes came courtesy of Gerry Wood Autocentre, and delivery by police officers continued a tradition that’s six years in the making.
“This is just something we enjoy doing,” said Sgt. Jerry Greene, one of the officers who headed this year’s project.
Brian Stallings was the other officer who helped head the giveaway.
About 12 officers participated in Tuesday’s delivery. They were assisted by members of the police department’s Explorers, young people between the ages of 14 and 20 who help officers with any number of projects.
The bikes were gathered in the showroom of Gerry Wood Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge on Jake Alexander Boulevard. Officers used a variety of trucks to deliver them to individual children.
Brenda Wood, Gerry’s wife, said the economic downturn forced a slight reduction in the number of bikes the automotive group gave this year.
A year ago, 125 bikes were bought and delivered.
“We had to cut back,” Wood said. “Business is just not great.”
She said the project is worthwhile for a number of reasons.
The children selected to receive bikes, Wood said, come primarily from low-income families and likely wouldn’t have any Christmas were it not for such donations.
The Rowan County Department of Social Services and the local schools provide officers with the names of children who need and would appreciate the bikes.
Wood said having officers deliver the bikes also helps form a bond between law enforcement and at-risk children.
“The association is great,” Wood said. “Now, the police are their friends.”
Bike helmets were donated by police. Officers also delivered teddy bears and candy canes to many families, making sure siblings weren’t forgotten even if they didn’t get a bike of their own.
“This is something they choose to do,” Wood said of officers who assisted with Tuesday’s deliveries. “Every single one of them could be at home with their families right now.”
Greene said the only problem with the giveaway stemmed from the fact that applications for bikes far exceeded the number available.
“We did the best we could do,” Greene said.
He noted that proof of the project’s effectiveness comes from youngsters like Donte Hoover. Now 16 and a sophomore at Salisbury High School, Hoover received a bike through the program several years ago.
He now helps officers deliver the bikes.
“He calls every year at Christmastime,” Greene said of the teen’s enthusiasm for the project.
The bikes officers delivered came in all sizes and colors. Some of the bikes for girls have white tires. Some of the boys’ bikes are macho-looking rides.
“We’re hoping they’ll all be well-used,” Greene said.