LYNN — Mutt Society, an organization that donates bikes throughout the world, gave away more than 100 bikes to the children of Pathways students during an event Saturday.
This is the second year Pathways has partnered with Mutt Society to bring bikes to the children of Lynn.
At Pathways, adult students in the city can receive basic education and English-language classes, interim Executive Director Sarah Hesch said. Pathways connects with its students inside and outside of the classroom.
“Sometimes that’s helping find rent assistance or food vouchers,” Hesch said. “This bike giveaway is just an amazing way that the community comes together. The Mutt Society collects donated bikes and fixes them up, which is (its) passion.”
Students of Pathways were able to sign up for their child to receive a bike from Mutt Society.
“We ended up having to close the list down because Mutt Society can only provide so many,” Hesch said.
She added that last year, around 90 bikes were donated. This year, that number went up to about 118.
“The students, they love their kids and they work hard every day both in our program and many of them work multiple jobs to make ends meet, and so they’re just super excited that their kids can have the opportunity to participate in American life in a really tangible way,” Hesch said.
The event was a celebration of getting the children on bikes and a way for the Pathways families to become more involved in the community.
“Our students are super excited,” Hesch said. “Some of them don’t have the means to do this for their children outside of this and so they’re excited for their kids to get bikes, and the kids are excited too.”
The event was held in memory of Anthony J. Monteiro, an Air Force veteran and “avid outdoorsman,” according to a press release.
“Our family wanted to create an annual event to make someone else happy and feel joy in Tony’s memory. There is nothing like seeing the smile and hearing the excitement in a youngster when they are with their new bike,” Monteiro’s family said.
