LPSO seeking bike donations for holiday giveaway

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If that old bike in the garage hasn’t seen the pavement since your kid was in high school – and he or she is now a college grad – it may be time to drop the two-wheeler off for the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office Annual Christmas Bike Giveaway.

“We collect bikes year round,” said Anthony Adams, corrections officer at the South Lafourche Sheriff’s Office substation. “We collected 232 last year, and we try to accommodate everyone who asks for a bike.”


Since 1996, the LPSO has spruced up more than 2,800 bicycles and distributed them to needy children in the area through the bike giveaway, and last year’s bikes were delivered by deputies and Explorers from Post #323.


“This program continues to be a success thanks to the generous and caring citizens of our community,” said Lafourch Sheriff Craig Webre in a printed statement. “We look forward to this annual program as we do our part to make Christmas wishes come true for as many children as possible.”

The sheriff’s office collects the bikes year-round, and bikes may be dropped off at any Sheriff’s Office station in the parish.


“We keep them at this substation, and we have eight trustees who clean or repair the bikes when not they are not on work detail,” Adams, who oversees the bike collection, said.

Bikes left after Dec. 1 should be new or only in need of minor repairs so that they can be ready in time for delivery the week before Christmas. Individuals may also make monetary donations that will be used to purchase new bikes, and the tax-deductible donations can be made out to the Lafourche Deputies Association with “bike giveaway” in the memo line.

“We truly appreciate the generosity shown by our citizens through this program,” said Captain Dean Savoie, commander of the LPSO Support Division, in a printed statement. “We accept each donation knowing it will bring a huge smile to one child’s face a few weeks later, and we appreciate the opportunity to witness that excitement when we make the delivery.”

The support division, which manages the program, is now taking names of children who may qualify for the program, and those who know of a child in need may call (985) 632-5843 to provide the child’s name, age, sex, address, phone number and other qualifying information. Due to a large number of requests for bikes, individual families are being asked to limit requests to one or two bikes.

Benjamin Conner, a trustee at the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office South Lafourche Substation in Galliano repairs a bike for the office’s annual Christmas bike giveaway. Bikes are collected and repaired year-round and distributed to needy children in the area.

CLAUDETTE OLIVIER TRI-PARISH TIMES