Maxwell Winters
Maxwell Winters, a rising senior at Columbia High School and a boy scout in Troop 5 Maplewood, has collecting more than 40 bikes in the past two weeks, with plans to re-use, refurbish and redistribute those that can be salvaged to South Orange and Maplewood students.
“When I was considering what I wanted to do for my eagle project, I thought back to my days as a little kid riding around on my bike. There was nothing I enjoyed more than riding, and I have carried that love of cycling through my entire life. In light of this, I decided that for my eagle project I would like to give kids that don’t have the opportunities that I had by fixing up used bikes and giving them out to SOMSD students with the help of the Parenting Center.”
Max will work with The Parenting Center at the South Orange Maplewood School district to distribute the bikes through its annual holiday toy drive.
“Max has got his work cut out for him!” said his mom, Jenny Winters.
“Max has exceeded his goal for bike collection! Over 40!” Max’s mom Jenny Winters wrote on Facebook.
Not all of those bikes will or can be refurbished. Some are in bad shape and will be used for parts.
But, said Max, he’s up for the work and now needs “donations to help pay for all of the tools and parts that I will need to buy to fix these bikes and get them in working order.”
Max’s mom Jenny also said funds are needed to purchase a new helmet to go with each bike. (Donations of old helmet are not wanted — recycling helmets for use is not suggested due to the fact that their protective capabilities can be compromised over time through accidents, etc.)
As of Friday morning July 15, Max had raised $295 toward his $750 goal on his gofundme.com page.
To contribute, visit here.
