Bike Angels Bestow Fixed-Up Wheels to Needy

The Burbank Bike Angels celebrated the display of 100 restored bikes in front of Burbank City Hall on Dec 13. The Los Angeles nonprofit organization has been collecting and restoring old bikes for nine years and just last month celebrated their 10th holiday season by presenting the restored bikes to less fortunate children. Director Elaine Pease started the organization when she saw a request for Burbank community members to donate bicycles for the holiday season. Pease thought that a better and less expensive way to donate bikes would be to collect used bikes and restore them. So with the help of three other city employees, she started Bike Angels from money out of their pockets. What started off with a handful restored bikes, turned into hundred and hundreds of bikes years after. The Burbank Bike Angels organization has helped provide alternative transportation, encourages healthy exercise and reduces air pollution. “It was just bikes for kids but all of a sudden there is all these other benefits that play into it, so it’s grown an importance in my heart of how each bike effects all these things in a positive way,” Pease told the Business Journal. The restored bikes were delivered to local nonprofit agencies who distributed them to children and families, along with food, clothes and toys on Dec 18. To date, the Bike Angels has restored over 1,500 bikes. Jingle Bell Run The Downtown Glendale Association hosted its sixth Jingle Bell Run on Dec 10 to help raise $83,883 for the Arthritis Foundation. The Jingle Bell Run is a nationwide, 3-mile event. Locally it took place at Glendale Central Park and brought about 4,000 guests, including 900 runners. Participants and attendees dressed up in their favorite Christmas attire and tied jingle bells to their shoes. The Jingle Bell Run donated 100 percent of the proceeds to the Arthritis Foundation. “It always takes place early December and it’s kind of like the community’s kickoff to Christmas,” Rick Lemmo, president of the Downtown Glendale Association and senior vice-president of mall owner Caruso, said. “It’s a very uplifting event.” Admission for the run was $50 for adults and $20 for children. Attendees received a tee shirt, bells for their shoelaces and a timing chip. Participation medals were also given out to the runners. Sponsors Abbvie, Christmas Sweaters, CVS Specialty and Ferring Pharmaceuticals contributed to defer the costs of the run. “It covers an area that people aren’t talking about all the time,” said Lemmo, referring to arthritis. The condition affects one in five Americans, including around 300,000 children. The Arthritis Foundation currently helps 50 million Americans living with the condition. All the money raised goes towards research, medication and advances for the future. 2 Million Packages Mars Inc. celebrated the delivery of more than 2 million care packages to U.S. troops through the company’s partnership with Operation Gratitude, a nonprofit organization in Chatsworth on Dec 9. Around 3,000 Mars associates and local volunteers helped assemble more than 10,000 packages to pass the 2 million mark. Service members who recently returned from overseas were surprised with tickets to the 52nd Super Bowl game tucked inside the 2 millionth package, and VIP tickets to NASCAR’s Charlotte 600 in the 2 million and first package. Mars Vice President and veteran Matt Moneti started Operation Gratitude in 2013 as a way for Mars to honor active duty members. “As a veteran myself, partnering with an organization like Operation Gratitude, which honors veterans and active duty service members who are just returning overseas, is so amazing,” he said. “Reaching the 2 millionth car package milestone was an unforgettable moment.” The care packages included small items that many tend to take for granted such as deodorant, toothpaste, glue, mouthwash and comic books. The packages also included Snickers, M&M’s and Skittle candies courtesy of Mars. The McLean, Va. company has a long history supporting troops since 1941. Mars has also committed to donating $2 million worth of its goods through the end of 2018 to keep Operation Gratitude going. “If you look at the history of Mars and how we’ve engaged with the military, it has always been on the side of principle and the value system we have in the company, and the honor we want to show them,” Moneti told the Business Journal. Staff Reporter Stephanie Bedolla can be reached at [email protected] or (818) 316-3130.