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Date: 5/24/2018
WEST SPRINGFIELD – On May 19, AAA Pioneer Valley helped raise over 60 bikes for Pedal Thru Youth, Inc. – a nonprofit that provides bikes and helmets to economically disadvantaged families in an effort to promote healthy living.
AAA, a primary sponsor for the bike organization, hosted the donation drive with PTY at its West Springfield location on 150 Capital Dr. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., residents from Western Massachusetts dropped off new or used bikes, helmets, locks, parts and cash in the parking lot of the AAA office. The non-profit auto-club received a variety of bikes, ranging in colors and sizes. Founder of PTY Robert Charland – who is also an auto mechanic at Lyndale Garage and a deputy with the Hampden Country Sheriff’s Department – will restore and rebuild the bikes with his team before distributing them to students in need.
“So many people say they want to do something to help someone else, but how many people actually do it,” said Charland. “I had these ideas and I just ran with it. It was a simple idea – it was bikes. Who doesn’t want a bike when you’re a kid?”
Once a month, PTY donates 30 bikes – complete with helmets, bike locks, first aid kits and water bottles – to poverty-stricken students in the area. The schools chosen for donations cannot be publicly announced because the bikes are supposed to be a surprise for the students. Staff members at each candidate school send Charland a list of students they believe could benefit from the bikes the most.
Charland, also known as “Bob the Bike Guy,” involves state and local law enforcement into his operation as well. On delivery days, he’s accompanied by state troopers, local law enforcement officers and ambulance paramedics to teach the students about bike safety and first aid.
“It’s so important to try and show these kids the positive sides of law enforcement. These kids see the worst in law enforcement because they live in poverty areas,” said Charland. “They are extremely poor and already hate cops – but, if they get these interactions with the cops, that may be the best interaction these kids have.”
PTY has donated over 300 bikes to area schools, youth groups and housing projects since 2017. Springfield Public Day Elementary School, William N. DeBerry Elementary School, Washington Elementary School and Kelly Elementary School have all received PTY bikes.
Charland, who is currently living in Springfield, was diagnosed with a degenerative brain disease this past spring. The auto mechanic told Reminder Publications he’s determined to spend the rest of his days giving back to the community as much as he can.
The inspiration for his bike-non-profit came from when his daughter – who is now 23 – was in middle school. In 2012, a guidance counselor started bringing Charland bikes to repair for some of her students. After several media outlets picked up his story, Charland received more and more bike donations. The “Bike Guy” went from paying for these repairs out of his own pocket, to receiving support from other local companies, elected officials and community members. The City of Springfield even provided a space for Charland at the Department of Public Works to store and repair his bikes.
On top of his work with PTY, Charland also teaches automotive skills to deaf children at the Willie Ross School for the Deaf – he knows sign language and speaks Laotian, Vietnamese and Thai. He recently expanded his volunteer efforts to include supplying police departments with “necessities” bags for the backs of police cruisers. The bags contain emergency blankets, hats, gloves, socks, hand warmers, nutritional supplements, toothbrushes and other toiletries. He encourages officers to give these bags to the homeless people they encounter on duty.
Charland has won multiple awards for his commitment to his community, and was honored in July by the National Center for Human Development. He has also been featured in national publications and networks, like People Magazine and CNN. On June 1, Charland will be featured in a documentary titled My Last Days. The documentary is an uplifting series that chronicles the lives of people living with terminal illnesses. It will air on the CW at 8 p.m.
Although living with his diagnosis is challenging at times, Charland said nothing brings him more joy than helping others.
“I think my situation is unique. I’ve taken everything I have left and put it into these projects,” he said. “I get up everyday with a smile on my face, and even if the day is difficult and the doctor says things are getting worse, I don’t care because I know I can make the most of everyday.”
For more information about PTY, and how to apply for donations, head over to http://www.pedalthruyouth.org/index.html.