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Lower Mainland boy’s big heart inspires bicycle drive

Langley Christian student Daniel Davison got his classmates to participate in Bicycles for Humanity
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Daniel Davison saved up his own money to buy a bike to donate. Miranda Fatur Langley Times

Nearly 30 children on the other side of the world will be given their very own bicycle, thanks to a Langley boy with a big heart and a big idea.

Langley Christian School Grade 4 student, Daniel Davison, has collected 29 gently used or new bicycles that will be shipped to Namibia, Africa through Bicycles for Humanity.

Davison said he wanted to start the project to make kids feel happy.

He enjoys bike riding, because he “gets to go a bunch of places,” and wants other kids to have the same opportunity.

Davison’s support teacher, Carrie Ringma, said the idea sparked when they were reading a book together about the non-profit organization, Bicycles for Humanity.

“He was like, ‘That’s a cool story, we should do that!’ And so we thought about it and I thought ‘we’ll see what we can do.’”

Ringma contacted Mike Kirk, the organizer of the Bikes for Humanity Langley chapter and was told they needed a minimum of 10 bikes for the organization to come to the school to pick them up and ship them.

“We got so many. Likely they’ll go to Namibia, and they send a whole container, so hopefully this helps fill it,” said Ringma.

While looking at the row of bikes lined up in his school’s hallway, Davison said it feels good to see the turnout.

And he wasn’t just the organizer—he also donated a bike to the cause that he purchased with birthday money given to him by friends and family.

The school collected all 29 bicycles in a three-week time frame.

Students at the school made posters to hang around the school, but most of the awareness was spread through word of mouth.

Vice-principal Jenny deGroot said the overall experience has been wonderful.

“Being able to say yes to a kid and have people respond is amazing. It’s so affirming for him (Davison).”

The bikes were scheduled to be picked up in a Bicycles for Humanity shipping crate on Nov. 5.

According to the Bikes for Humanity webpage, the organization is a grassroots movement formed in 2005 and founded by Pat Montani.

After a successful turnout, Ringma said she hopes the bicycle collection is something the school will do again in the future.