Published: November 29, 2008 09:56 pm      

Boy Scouts continue tradition for toy fund

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good ride!

Local Boy Scout troops are embarking on their annual tradition of refurbishing and painting donated bikes to present to children at the 78th annual Mac’s Toy Fund party.

Boy Scout leader Arthur Bolen’s Troop 103 and Walt Winant’s Troop 295, composed of boys ages 11 to 18, will begin fixing the bikes next week.

“It’s good for us to help those less fortunate who do not necessarily have the ability to go out and buy gifts. This alleviates some of the strain on their pocketbooks,” Bolen said.

Bolen’s troop, which meets on Tuesday nights, will come in an hour early and stay an hour late during the holiday season to work on the bikes at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center.

The troops do a complete transformation on the bikes, making them as new as possible.

Bolen says Mac’s Toy Fund typically receives 300 to 350 used bikes. His troops normally take three bikes to make “one good one” and will likely refurbish 200 bicycles for the fund.

‘We do a lot of tire and innertube changing, we readjust all of the brakes and put pads on them, adjust the derailers and make sure the chains are in good shape,” Bolen said.

The boys are also trained how to replace hand grips, seats and kickstands, as well as how to properly clean and paint them.

“We purchase cleaning materials to make it shine — so it’s ready for the toy fund,” said Bolen, who has personally volunteered for the toy fund since 1985.

Ride N Slide Sports on Second Street in Beckley is once again generously providing them with all the parts necessary to refurbish the bikes at cost.

“Part of being a Boy Scout is community service,” Bolen said. “It’s a very good project.”

Donations of used toys and bicycles will be taken until Dec. 13. Toys can be dropped off at BJW Printing on Robert C. Byrd Drive in Beckley from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.

Bicycles can be left behind Beckley Fire Station No. 3 on Eisenhower Drive.

Monetary donations will be accepted through Dec. 31; mail them to Mac’s Toy Fund, P.O. Box 2398, Beckley, WV 25802.

— E-mail: jayres@register-herald.com