[Durham INC] Durham Helps "Bicycle Man" With New Helmets for Annual Giveaway

[Blalock, Amy]

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

 

 

News Release

 

For Details, Contact:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 11253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

Amy.Blalock at durhamnc.gov <mailto:Amy.Blalock at durhamnc.gov> 

 

For Immediate Release:  December 23, 2009

 

City of Durham Helps "Bicycle Man" Receive 70 New Helmets for Annual
Giveaway

Event Begins Christmas Day at 10 a.m.

 

DURHAM, N.C. - On Christmas morning, underprivileged children in Durham
will have something extra to smile about as they ride away on newly
refurbished bicycles - with newly donated helmets - thanks to the
generosity of a public-private partnership with the City of Durham.

 

Lewis Days, better known as "The Bicycle Man," is busily preparing for
his annual giveaway of bicycles and helmets on Christmas Day.  Since
2002, Days, a former recipient of services from the Northeast Central
Durham Adopt-a-Neighborhood for Development (AND) Program, has been
refurbishing and giving away bikes to underprivileged kids.  

 

Unfortunately, this year's down economy had dramatically slowed
donations and Days feared he would be unable to continue the holiday
tradition that so many children benefit from in Durham.  

 

When the City of Durham's Northeast Central Durham (NECD) Community
Engagement Division in the Neighborhood Improvement Services Department
learned of his plight, the staff collaborated with the Partnership for a
Healthy Durham's Injury Prevention Committee to help secure donations of
more than 70 new bicycle helmets.  In addition, members of the Injury
Prevention Committee will be on hand at the Christmas Day giveaway event
to properly fit helmets for the children when they receive their
bicycles.

 

"Obesity and other chronic illnesses are major concerns in Northeast
Central Durham and a program that provides our kids with bicycles and
helmets to help them stay active, which in turn will help to reduce
obesity and prevent head injuries, is one that we have proudly supported
in the past and why we stepped up to help again this year when we
learned about the reduced donations," said Earl Phillips, assistant
director for Community Engagement for the City's Neighborhood
Improvement Services Department.  "The core of our mission is to help
our neighborhoods and improve the quality of life for our residents.  If
we can help put smiles on the faces of our most at-risk children this
Christmas, then that's what we're going to do.  Many of these children
would have nothing under the tree if it were not for this annual
giveaway and the generous work of Lewis.  It is our privilege to be able
to help with this event and a blessing to us to know of the joy it
brings to our youth."

 

The annual bike giveaway begins at 10 a.m. on Friday, December 25, 2009,
at 1309 Fay Street, Durham.  Anyone interested in making donations for
this annual giveaway should contact Days at (919) 949-7708.  

 

For more information about the Northeast Central Durham (NECD) Community
Engagement Division in the City's Neighborhood Improvement Services
Department, contact Melva Henry, NECD Community Engagement Manager, at
(919) 560-1647 ext. 34259, via e-mail Melva.Henry at durhamnc.gov, or visit
the City's Web site at 
www.durhamnc.gov/departments/nis/necd/index_necd.cfm. 

 

To learn more about the Partnership for a Healthy Durham's Injury
Prevention Committee, contact Coordinator Mel Downey-Piper at (919)
560-7833 or visit www.healthydurham.org. 

 

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