Generous local donates refurbished bikes to children in Mexico
Manoah Tuiasosopo
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – A Yuma man is making a difference one bike at a time. On Wednesday, he donated 25 refurbished bicycles to children in Mexico.
Gene Dalbey starts by saying, “Everybody who wants a bike ought to have a bike. If they can’t afford a bike, I’ll give them a bike.”
Dalbey isn’t just a bike technician, he’s a man on a mission.
The former President of the Yuma Regional Bicycle Coalition says he’s rescued over 1,000 bikes in the last two years.
“Put a chain on it and get some wheels on it and it’ll be a good bike,” he says.
Restoring bicycles is his passion and even in their roughest conditions, he still uses them for parts and pieces.
“I always look at is as, what they say? One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” he explains.
He’s even getting some help from local organizations like the Yuma Farmer’s Market.
“These are the ones we got from the farmer’s market with their grant money and there a thorn-resistant tube.”
This week, 25 restored children’s bikes will be delivered to Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, also known as Rocky Point and this won’t be his first time lending a hand to friends in Mexico.
“We gave Rocky Point, about two months ago, 15 big adult bikes for employees of the city to be able to get back and forth from work, and this was a follow up to give the kids an opportunity to have some bikes,” Dalbey shared.
When asked if he had a favorite bike in his collection, he replied, “No, I don’t. Every bike kind of has its own identity. It’s almost like a pet…Bicycles really bring a lot of good things to a community.”
Dalbey asks anyone with old or broken bikes to consider donating them.
You can contact him at (928)920-8482.