Airman aims to help others during holiday season

Bike giveaway

Maj. John Thomas, 721st Mission Support Group chief of plans and programs, (left) gives one of three bikes he found in a dumpster and refurbished to Ted's Bicycles shop owner Tony Hoewisch Dec. 11. Major Thomas takes discarded bikes and rebuilds them, then donates them. These bicycles will be given to children and adults at the 28th annual Bob Telmosse Christmas Giveaway 2010 Dec. 20 in Colorado Springs. (U.S. Air Force photo/Monica Mendoza)

Published Dec. 14, 2010
By Monica Mendoza
21st Space Wing Public Affairs staff writer

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- It's not unusual for Maj. John Thomas to come home with beat up old bicycles.

In the old, discarded bikes he finds in dumpsters, he sees a few more good years that could benefit some other kid or adult, said Major Thomas, 721st Mission Support Group chief of plans and programs. He takes the bikes home and cleans and fixes them.

This holiday season, Major Thomas dropped off three bicycles he refurbished at Ted's Bicycles in Colorado Springs, where hundreds of donated bicycles will be given to children and adults at the 28th annual Bob Telmosse Christmas Giveaway on Dec. 20.

"When I was a kid, I got around on my bike," Major Thomas said. "I think it would stink to be a kid without a bike."

Sometimes the bikes he finds are too far-gone to be fixed, but he salvages parts and saves them for future finds.

Tony Hoewisch, owner of Ted's Bicycles shop, said with this year's donations of bikes, his shop staff is fixing about 15 bikes a day and will give about 450 bicycles to the Christmas Giveaway.

"We've had a lot of bikes come in these last few days," Mr. Hoewisch said.

Major Thomas brought three bikes to the shop that were ready to ride. He fixed the cranks, greased the chains and did other repair work on the two children's bike and one adult-size bike.

"They are lubed and greased and ready to go," he said.