You Can Help Make the Season Brighter for Central Florida Children

on December 1, 2021 at 2:03 pm

Last December, Bike/Walk Central Florida teamed up with partners and the Jordan Smelski Foundation to help give away bicycles, helmets and other sporting goods equipment to more than 1,000 Central Florida children. We’re prepping to hopefully bring some joy to more families this year on December 11 & 12. You can be a part of that joy. Read on to find how you can help and learn more about last year’s event and the Jordan Smelski Foundation.

How You Can Help Spread Joy

Donations of new or very gently used sporting goods or bikes can be dropped off Saturday, December 4, at the event location:

1201 West S.R. 436
Altamonte Springs 32714
(Old Walgreens location)
10:00 AM till 5:00 PM

If you have a donation(s) that needs to be picked up, please contact: Steve Smelski [email protected]

Donate an Unused Bike

Do you have an unused bike that no one rides or someone has outgrown? Rusty’s Bicycle Recycle can refurbish it and get it under someone who could really use.

Some David’s World Cycle locations take bike donations for Rusty’s Bicycle Recycle; contact David’s World Cycle for specific details, location and store policy
Contact Russ (Rusty) Durham at 407-729-1102 to arrange pick-ups; Rusty’s team is adding extra pick up service over weekends prior to the holidays, but they take donations year-round.

Make a Monetary Donation

You can also simply make a donation to the Smelski Foundation, and they will purchase bicycles and equipment on behalf of donors. Click here for the Jordan’s Sporting Goods Store Donation Page.

2020 Jordan’s Sporting Good Event: 1000+ Kids Receive Sporting Goods, Bikes, Helmets, & More in Jordan Smelski’s Memory

‘Twas two weekends before Christmas, and Bike/Walk Central Florida elves were busy fitting and giving away 610 helmets to Central Florida families in need. More than 1,000 children received bikes, helmets, other sporting equipment and bicycling and pedestrian safety information at this year’s Jordan’s Sporting Goods Store.

The free store is opened on the second weekend of December each year by the Jordan Smelski Foundation for Amoeba Awareness in honor of Jordan who died at age 11 in 2014 from primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. He contracted the amoeba while on vacation, swimming in hot springs. In honor of Jordan, his parents Steve and Shelly Smelski host the annual free sporting goods store to give to children in need.

A line of families waited out the door for the opening and a steady flow continued throughout the weekend. Mears Transportation donated a charter bus to bring 50 children from the Orlando Rescue Mission to the store. WKMG’s Trooper Steve and Orlando Magazine shared BWCF tweets promoting the event and inviting families.

Seminole County Commissioner and Best Foot Forward partner Bob Dallari stopped by for a few hours to help out and support the event. He was moved by the scope of the event and the children’s excitement.

Rusty’s Bicycle Recycle repaired and donated many of the more than 500 bicycles that were given away along with new bikes, scooters, skateboards, racquets, balls of every kind, baseball gloves & bats, lacrosse sticks and more.

Check out our Flickr album for lots of great moments from the event.