Disabled children and their advocates rejoiced Wednesday as more than $42,000 in donations flooded in to replace 30 specially crafted bicycles stolen last week from a Berkeley storeroom.
Businesses, foundations and the public have swamped the Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program with donations, from a $25,000 donation by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. to $5 and $10 gifts from individuals.
“All of us were so bummed out on Monday, but then all these people started calling and offering to help, and all these donations started pouring in,” said Rick Spittler, the program’s executive director. “We feel so much better, knowing there are so many people out there who want to help. It’s so heartening.”
One man walked in the BORP office on Bancroft Way and handed over his $1,000 Christmas bonus. Another stopped by with more than $1,000 he had collected from co-workers. Another called from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, to replace one of the stolen bikes. Kristi Yamaguchi’s foundation chipped in $5,000.
It’s been nonstop,” Spittler said. “It seems every 10 minutes we’re getting more donations.” Thieves took the bikes from a locked storeroom at the north end of Aquatic Park, where the children ride with their able-bodied family and friends. BORP discovered the theft Friday.
The bikes, worth about $80,000, are customized for children with cerebral palsy, brain injuries, blindness, paralysis and other disabilities. Some of the bikes have three wheels, or are hand-powered, or have two seats.
“When we learned about the bikes’ being taken away from these young people, we wanted to help BORP get back to doing what it does so well for our community,” said Mike Billeci, Bay Area president of Wells Fargo, which gave BORP $10,000. “We hope our donation will encourage others to take action.”
The outpouring has been a comfort to the kids. “It just shows that something good can come out of all this evil stuff,” said Antonia De Michiel, 15, of Albany, who has cerebral palsy and used one of the hand-powered bicycles to train for a
25-mile ride in October.
“That someone stole our bikes is just so wrong on so many levels. It’s totally incomprehensible,” she said. “Without bikes, we don’t have a bike program. It’s just really sad.” De Michiel said the program allowed her to meet other teens who share her disability and athletic goals. She also enjoyed training most of the year for BORP’s annual fundraiser, the 25-mile October ride called Revolution.
Should anyone see one of BORP’s bikes for sale at a flea market, on Craigslist or in another venue, Spittler asks that they buy it, and BORP will reimburse them. Most are labeled with the names of the children who ride them.
“Somewhere out there is a bike with my name on it,” De Michiel said. “Hopefully I’ll get it back.”
Berkeley police are pursuing several leads in the case, said Officer Joe Okies.
To help:
— BORP can be reached at (510) 849-4663 or at www.borp.org.
— Anyone with leads should call Berkeley police at (510) 981-5900