LINCOLN PARK, Mich. – A program dedicated to empowering individuals through active modes of transportation must now get over a significant hurdle themselves.
The group believes everyone should be able to ride, but thieves rode off in their vital work vehicle in the last day.
Between Monday (March 21) night and Tuesday morning, someone pumped the brakes on the whole operation, taking off with a 16-foot truck full of bikes that were soon to be delivered to those in need.
“This past week, students were prepping bikes for a middle school in Detroit,” said PEAC Founder and Executive Director John Waterman.
Waterman says it’s creating a chain reaction as the thieves stole the hard work of the Students with PEAC and those for whom the bikes were being made for.
“You’re taking away from students with disabilities,” Waterman said. “This is a chance of a 10-year-old that may have a physical limitation that gets to ride a bike this summer.”
The worst part is that if the truck isn’t recovered, the program’s reach may be in jeopardy of being backpaddled.
“If we don’t get a vehicle, we’ll be reducing the size of our programs, cutting the number of days we go out or the number of sites we can go to or students we can do service,” Waterman said.
“Please find that van of ours because we really need our bikes and our van to get around,” PEAC student Amanda begged.
