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Santa and local elves donate Statesboro AMBUCS bikes
AmTrykes designed for children with special needs
AMBUCS W
After receiving her specially made bike from the Statesboro AMBUCS organization at a recent bike giveaway at First Baptist Church, an excited young girl gives Laynie Brown a hug, while Carter Bowman and Hudson Lanier help adjust her helmet and Brown's mom and fellow donor, Crista Brown, looks on. - photo by Special to the Herald

The Statesboro AMBUCS organization, with assistance from Santa Claus and some elves, brought Christmas joy to six children a little early this year.

Earlier this month, the organization that provides adaptive and therapeutic bicycles, called AmTrykes, gave them to kids ranging in age from 4 to 13.

Santa Claus took a break from the North Pole and dropped in at Statesboro First Baptist Church, where the recipients and their families, the elves who donated the bikes, AMBUCS volunteers and other friends waited for the presentation.

Though Santa appeared in his signature red suit, his elves came dressed as ordinary local residents with one thing in common: a heart of compassion dwarfed only by the size of Santa's toy list.

One elf family, the Wilkersons, held a raffle outside of Statesboro to raise money to purchase a bike for a special-needs child. The Wilkersons know the blessing of mobility that an AmTryke provides because their child was a previous recipient.

The Statesboro High School National Honor Society raised money for a public-school young adult, and elf Hannah Sikes, media representative for the organization, assisted Santa at the presentation.

Young innovator Ja'Mario Walker, after receiving his own therapeutic bike to meet the needs of his cerebral palsy, decided he wanted to pay his blessing forward. Walker authored a book and used half of the proceeds to purchase a bike.

David and Crista Brown and daughter Laynie felt compelled to join the bike-giving elf club after Laynie spent time as a volunteer with The Therapy SPOT. Laynie plans to become a physical therapist, and her heart was especially touched while working with the pediatric patients at The Therapy SPOT, which stands for Speech, Physical and Occupational Therapy.

After observing other bike giveaways, Hudson Lanier, son of The Therapy SPOT co-owner Lea Lanier, wanted to join the ranks of donors and came up with the idea of a lemonade stand. Hudson and brother, Henry, and friends including Carter Bowman, through Project Lemonade Stand, raised close to $1,000 for a bike.

Just prior to the presentation at First Baptist, Parrish & Bland LLP Certified Public Accountants gave away a bike as well as toys and clothes for the recipient's siblings.

Kirsten Patterson, the Statesboro AMBUCS president and therapist at The Therapy SPOT, thanked the donors and those in attendance and announced that with the recent bike donations, AMBUCS has provided a total of 20 bikes since its inception about a year ago.