The elves of Pine Street Carpenters will gather at the remodeling firm’s shop on December 5 for its 12th annual 100 Wheels Project bike-build. The West Chester company’s community service project has provided nearly 1000 bikes to deserving children in the community, and on December 5 the remodeling firm will build another 122 bicycles for those in need.
WEST CHESTER — For a hundred or so elves, the official kick-off to the holiday season does not come with radio stations changing their formats to round-the-clock carols. Or the arrival Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Nor does it come with the ever-popular West Chester Christmas Parade. Rather, for the elves at Pine Street Carpenters, the holiday season begins with the remodeling company’s annual 100 Wheels Project bike-build.
This year’s event, which will be held December 5 at Pine Street’s West Chester workshop and kitchen showroom, marks the 12th annual 100 Wheels Project, a community service initiative in which the firm purchases and builds bikes for deserving children in the community. Since Pine Street launched the project in 2008, the company has provided 962 bikes to families in need just in time for the holidays. This year’s bike-build, which will be the largest in the event’s history, will add another 122 bikes to Santa’s sleigh. That’s 1084 bikes delivered to Santa over twelve years, with a lot of smiles delivered along the way.
Each year, Pine Street partners with local non-profit agencies to identify families in need. Then, after purchasing bikes for each child, Pine Street employees and their families, along with clients, industry partners, and members of the cycling community, gather for a festive bike-building party. Within just a few hours, all the bikes are assembled and ready for delivery to Pine Street’s non-profit partners.
“We couldn’t do this without the help of the incredible organizations who work year-round to help those in need,” said Brendon Dolan, owner of Pine Street Carpenters. “They do wonderful work in the community and their dedication to others is what makes this project work.”
Project partners this year include the Friends Association for the Care and Protection of Children, Family Service of Chester County, The Care Center, Saint Agnes Day Room, and The Salvation Army, all of West Chester; Home of the Sparrow (Exton); Carter Community Development Corporation (Kennett Square); People’s Pantry at Church Road (Malvern); and Family Services of Montgomery County (Norristown). This year marks the first time Pine Street is partnering with The Salvation Army and the Carter Community Development Corporation.
Shortly after Pine Street’s bike-build, the remodeling firm delivers its sleigh of bicycles to each non-profit partner. Some organizations distribute the bikes at holiday parties. Others work with parents to make sure a shiny new bike makes its way next to the Christmas tree on Christmas morning.
In addition to the bikes, helmets and bike locks are also donated to accompany many of the bicycles. Many of the helmets were provided through a grant from Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children. Benchmark Federal Credit Union also collected helmets which they donated to this year’s 100 Wheels Project.
The success of Pine Street’s bike-build hinges not only on its non-profit partners and bike-building volunteers, but also on Pine Street’s friends, clients, and industry partners, many of whom have sponsored a bike for this year’s 100 Wheels Project. Local business supporting the bike-build this year include: Allen Cook’s Barber Shop, O’Rouke and Sons, Mauger and Co., Mop-Ups Cleaning Services, Pennsy Corporation, and Windles’ Water Works, all of West Chester; Marvel Masonry of West Grove; Harmony Heating of Kennett Square; and Tague Lumber of Phoenixville.
This year’s bike-build will take place from 5PM-9PM on December 5 at Pine Street Carpenters, 901 S. Bolmar St., Suite N, West Chester, PA 19382. Given the number of elves already helping out, the event has reached maximum capacity and cannot accommodate additional volunteers this year. Donations of bike locks are still welcome and can be dropped off at Pine Street’s kitchen showroom on Bolmar Street.
To learn more about Pine Street’s 100 Wheels Project, visit www.bikebuild.org or call Pine Street Carpenters at 610.430.3333.
