Larry Kingsella and his daughter Belen lined up in the first row on Saturday morning and parked in their car, preparing to make some bicycles for the children in the community.
“This is our favorite time of the year,” Larry Kingsella said. “Since they were founded, this has always been a tradition in our family,”
For many years, Waste Connections has been ordering and assembling bicycles for children in need during the holidays. Usually, there is a “construction day”, which includes all the volunteer builders meeting each other at one location. There, they put the bicycles together.
Kinsella said: “It’s like a Clark County family reunion where we can all get together under one roof.”
Volunteers were asked to pick up their number of bicycles and then take them home for construction instead of building them together.
Nevertheless, Waste Connections attended the party. There is a DJ with Christmas music on it, Santa Claus also shows up, and snacks and coffee as SUVs, cars and trucks come to pick up their bikes.
“I like this idea. It’s great. We will get some food, some coffee, and they will make them as festive as possible.” Kingsra said. “Waste Connections has done a great job in this regard.”
The Kingsella family is picking up six bicycles, and the entire family is expected to help assemble these bicycles.
More than a dozen cars lined up, waiting to put the bicycles in the suitcases or trailers. That was only in the first hour. The delivery of the bicycle was originally scheduled to take three hours.
It all started with the idea of ​​the late Scott Campbell, a citizen leader and employee of the “Waste Connection” organization.
“There may be 100 bicycles at the beginning, or even less than 100,” said Cyndi Holloway, Waste Connections’ community affairs director. “It started in our meeting room, making bicycles, and finding children who needed them. It was a minor operation at the beginning.”
Holloway said of the end of spring: “There are no bicycles in America.”
By July, Waste Connections started ordering bicycles. Holloway said that of the 600 aircraft ordered this year, they currently have 350.
Those 350 or so were distributed to builders on Saturday. A few hundred others will arrive in the coming weeks and months. Holloway said they will be assembled and delivered.
Gary Morrison and Adam Monfort are also in line. Morrison is the general manager of BELFOR property restoration company. They are on the company truck. They are expected to pick up as many as 20 bicycles. Their employees and family members also participated in the assembly of the bicycle.
“We want to make a difference in the community,” Morrison said. “We have the ability to do this.”
Terry Hurd of Ridgefield is a new member this year. He offered help at the Ridgefield Lions Club and was told they needed people to pick up the bikes.
He said: “I happen to have a truck, and I am very happy to help.” He pointed out that he did his best to volunteer.
Paul Valencia joined ClarkCountyToday.com after more than two decades of working experience in newspapers. In the 17 years of “Columbia University,” he became synonymous with sports reporting in Clark County high school. Before moving to Vancouver, Paul worked in daily newspapers in Pendleton, Roseburg and Salem, Oregon. Paul graduated from David Douglas High School in Portland and later enlisted in the US Army and served as a soldier/news reporter for three years. He and his wife Jenny recently celebrated their 20th anniversary. They have a son who is passionate about karate and Minecraft. Paul’s hobbies include watching the Raiders playing football, reading information about the Raiders playing football, and waiting to watch and read about the Raiders playing football.