It was smiles all around, as the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department held its annual bike giveaway Program, giving youngsters from across SLO County free bicycles for Christmas. The 150 given away Dec. 15 were part of a total of 320 the department gave away for this, the 28th year of the program. They also gave away bikes at Farmer’s Market in SLO. Inmates at the County Honor Farm work year-round refurbishing donated bicycles, spending 8-hours a day on the project, under the supervision of Correctional Dep. Orion Moses, according to Sheriff’s spokesman Tony Cipolla. The program got a $1,500 donation from Rita’s Rainbows which was used to buy the kids new helmets, and $10,000 from The Sandlot Group of San Luis Obispo, a non-profit organization ‘dedicated to the promotion of sport and overall health for youth in our community,’ according to its website, see: sandlotgroup.com. Local Target and Walmart stores donated new bikes and the Sheriff’s Advisory Foundation, Art’s Cyclery and Bike SLO also volunteered with the program.
-Photos by Neil Farrell
