Another day, another bike — that's the motto for Edwin Connolly of Polk Township.
Connolly works out of his garage a couple of days a week, taking an old set of wheels and fixing them for a child in need.
It's all for the nonprofit he and his grandson started called No Kids Without Wheels.
"The first six months, we did 62 bicycles. Within a year, we had already given away 140 bicycles, and then as it progressed, we've given bicycles away to Africa, and we've also given bicycles in Texas, New Jersey, upstate New York, and all of Pennsylvania," said Connolly.
Now, six years later, the nonprofit has given away nearly 2,500 bikes, scooters, skateboards, wheelchairs, and walkers, providing new or refurbished bikes to underprivileged kids who are eligible for free.
The organization is a ministry of Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Gilbert.
"We never recognize a child. All we go by is the first name and a zip code. So, there are no addresses, no nothing, and nobody in No Kids Without Wheels has contact with a child, not even me. They go through the parent, the police officer, or the fireman. Whoever calls up and asks for the bicycle, that's who gets them," said Connolly.
The organization has grown over the years, helping as many kids as possible that they've outgrown the space where they are now. So, Connolly is asking for the community's help to look for a new space.
"We can't afford to rent a storage locker. They're too expensive so we need storage," Connolly said. "We also need locations where bikes can be dropped off and those are the big things. We don't need a place to work out of. We don't need any of that stuff; we just need a place to store, and the only thing you're going to store is these bikes because the new bikes go out immediately as soon as we're done with them," said Connolly.
If you know of a storage space or would like to donate bikes to No Kids Without Wheels, you can contact Edwin Connolly on Facebook or via email at
nkwowheels@gmail.com.
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