Menifee Shop, Cyclists' Group Give Kids New Bikes

Menifee Bicycles shop and a locally-based cyclists' group called Cast A Shadow teamed up to give free bikes to 24 children from a youth center in the Los Angeles area on Saturday.

A busload of kids from the Oasis of Hollywood youth group arrived at the local bike shop to the cheers of shop employees and members of Cast A Shadow, headed by Menifee resident Jay Szczypiorski. After being fitted with new helmets, each child was presented a new bike. Those who needed help were assisted by members of Cast a Shadow.

"Cast a Shadow reaches into the lives of those less fortunate while utilizing people's passion for cycling," said Szczypiorski (at left with an Oasis student and employee Brittney Manley). "We help take people who love biking and show how biking can change their lives -- physically, mentally and spiritually. Avid cyclists like to go out and ride a long distance, but our purpose is to put a cause behind it."

As part of that cause, club members are supporting groups like Oasis of Hollywood and Quality of Life Connections in San Diego. To raise money for the purchase of the bikes donated on Saturday, members of Cast A Shadow had to raise a minimum of $1,200 each to take part in a six-day, 560-mile ride in the mountains of Colorado.

The group is a faith-based group, as is Oasis of Hollywood. Children who attend the youth group were required to memorize 20 Bible verses in order to receive a bike. Once they were turned loose in the parking lot with their new rides, the kids were all smiles.

"They are really excited," said Brittney Manley of Oasis. "A lot of them have never had a bike or ridden a bike before."

One such child was 11-year-old Alexa Acevedo (right), who listened intently as a cyclist from Cast A Shadow worked with her on balance and control of her new bike. She picked a blue helmet to match the color of her new bike.

"Kids in that neighborhood struggle," Szczypiorski said. "The area is gang populated; there are drugs and alcohol. We're trying to help Oasis give them an incentive to learn."

Menifee Bicycles owner Craig Cooper runs a side business, Odyssey, in which he travels around the Southland to help coordinate donations of bikes to children of all ages. When he was approached by Szczypiorski with the idea for Saturday's giveaway, he was happy to provide the bikes at cost.

"Cast A Shadow promotes a lot of different values, and one is teaching the gospel," Cooper said. "A lot of their rides use us as their bicycle store, so I was happy to get the bikes for them. They get all the credit. It didn't cost us anything. We just provided the site."

Menifee Bicycles owner Craig Cooper (center) provided the bikes purchased by Cast A Shadow for the children.

A group of happy children with new helmets eagerly await their new bikes.