Burbank Bike Angels restores, donates bicycles for 10th year

The Burbank Bike Angels pedaled to its 10-year milestone this holiday season as the local nonprofit donated another roughly 200 bicycles to less-fortunate children in the community.

Last Tuesday, dozens of restored and donated bicycles were put on display on the front steps of Burbank City Hall, ready to find a new home.

For the past decade, members and volunteers of the nonprofit have collected used bicycles donated by residents and restored them to like-new condition.

Elaine Pease, director of the Bike Angels, said the program started with just a handful of bicycles. Now, 10 Christmases later, she has seen at least 200 bikes — restored and new — available for donation over recent years.

“The program just took off,” she said. “Everyone in the community kept pitching in to help when it started to grow. It went from a handful of bikes to up to 200 a year.”

Pease added she never thought her idea of restoring used bicycles and donating them to less-fortunate children would become an ongoing event.

“In the next 10 years, who knows where this thing will go,” she said. “Seeing the kids with their bikes just makes my heart warm and gives me goosebumps sometimes.”

Mayor Emily Gabel-Luddy said she’s impressed with the tremendous response from the community to step up and donate so many bicycles to the Bike Angels every year.

Some of the bicycles the group receives have more mileage than others, and she’s amazed by how they look after being restored.

“By the time the Bike Angels are done with them, they all look like new bikes,” Gabel-Luddy said.

anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com

Twitter: @acocarpio