Mexico man gives away more than 170 bikes to spread holiday cheer

MEXICO, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Mexico man gave away more than 170 bikes on Saturday to kids in the community with the hope of spreading holiday cheer.

“I wanted to give 20 bikes away for Christmas, and it just blew up," said Richard Mahoney. "I’m at 175 right now."

Over just six weeks Richard Mahoney collected the bikes, many of them used, and personally refurbished them. As word spread, community members joined in, donating bike seats, tassels, and decorations to make each bike feel brand new.

Amy Jackson, Mahoney’s daughter, drove up from Texas for Christmas but also stepped in to lend a hand.

“I knew he was going to be overwhelmed,” Jackson said. “It was going to be a little more than just a few bikes and a few kids, so I wanted to make sure I could be here to guide him along,” Jackson said. 

Mahoney explained his idea all stemmed from one act of kindness. It was a simple gesture when he bought a bike for a little girl he noticed at Walmart. He told her he was going to buy a bike for his granddaughter and needed her help. 

“We rode three bikes in Walmart and I bent down on my knee and I said I want to thank you for helping me I'm going to buy this bike for my granddaughter. Then I turned around and told her mom and said I'm going to also buy it for your daughter," Mahoney said. The girl’s mother then shared the moment on Facebook and the post quickly went viral.

Next year, Mahoney said he hopes to fill the entire Mexico Elks Lodge room with bikes, aiming to give away 500 bikes to local children. A local radio station will also help set up a bank account to accept donations, according to Mahoney.

Mahoney and his daughter are also encouraging families to bring back bikes their children have outgrown so they can be refurbished and passed along to other kids. Kids that recieved bikes tell ABC 17 News they were full of excitement.

“I like the bike, it has really cute designs,” Rhylynn Couch said. 

“I love how the hearts and the words come together because they're so cute,” Lelani Burton said.