The People You Meet!

The People You Meet!

Mark Ingram
April 15th 2010

The bike riding program operating from LINK through IOE’s Balance program, faced the loss of two borrowed bikes which had to be returned to their owner.

Desperate to replace these essential items, we were all doing the usual race around to alert friends of our need for two more bikes.

I visited a friend at his workshop (Active Auto Electrical) and told him of our position, explaining that we needed bikes to be donated. One of his customers approached and asked me to repeat my story, which I did, explaining what IOE is in the process. He asked me how much two second hand mountain bikes would cost. I replied approximately $50.00 each. He then proceeded to take a $100.00 note from his wallet and said “here buy yourself a couple of bikes”.

This man (Bob May) didn’t know me from a bar of soap, but treated me like a brother renewing my faith in human kindness. Without fanfare he left. I was dumfounded standing with a tear in my eye and a smile from ear to ear. What a great bloke. The program was resurrected. With the $100.00 we went shopping. We headed off to a man near my home who sells second hand bikes where we found a girls mountain bike for sale in near new condition for $60. A couple of nights later I received a call from a tow truck driver, Jim, (Whoosh Transport) who had been to the same workshop, heard of our situation and donated $130.00 . We now had $170.00 to purchase a men’s mountain bike. All bases filled, the program rolls on.

Special thanks to
Bob May. Cribb Pty Ltd (Retaining walls)
Jim O’Neal. Whoosh transport.
Richard Hopkins. Active Auto Electrical.