He's always there, but one is more apt to notice any celebrities he's invited than the man himself. I think he prefers it that way. There's maybe a 15 second portion of the program where he is recognized, and he usually uses that time to ask the crowd gathered to holler in unison, "Thank you!" to all the volunteers who make the party possible. But, really, this party doesn't happen without him at the helm.
Over the years, well over a hundred children from Aim Right have been able to attend the annual Bike Party, by special invitation. You will see two little ladies quite often in the photos below, since they were my accompaniments for the day and quite excited about any photo opportunity.
The pile of snow is always a big hit. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of throwing a few snowballs. Let's just say that Luke 6:38 became evident: "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over." Our boys have some throwing skills!
A little lunch on the lawn as Mickey and Minnie happily take a stroll....
Mr. Max and his dad came along.....
....and Stephanie and Carter, as well as the wagon that came in ever so handy in carrying jackets, uneaten bags of chips and cookies, and eventually, turkeys and bags of groceries for each family.
He said that being a motorcycle cop is "the best job ever." I had to ask: "Um...even in the summer?"
I believe this was a 1940's fire truck.
The little guy below does not speak much English yet and was almost terrified when we arrived at a big place, with a lot of unknown people. Christian took him under his wing, and soon he was enjoying the day like everyone else (having access to sno-cones and ice cream whenever he wanted may have helped).
I think this unicyclist has been at every Bike Party I've attended (11 years' worth). He seems ageless in that he has always appeared just really old, yet he can always ride a unicycle. How is this so?
The Suns Gorilla!
A fire safety talk:
And the reason why we call this the Bike Party: Every child receives a free bike at the end!
No comments:
Post a Comment