HAMPTON, Va. — Christopher Daily has a new way to get around.
“It’s a whole lot easier to go on two wheels than two feet," Daily said.
He was one of the many people in need of a bike who stopped by Buckroe Coffee Co. in Hampton to get one for free.
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“I actually grew up doing a lot of bike riding. It actually would put me back on the road, both for whatever I need to do as well as for leisure," said Daily.
The bikes come from Hampton Strong, a nonprofit that collects and fixes up old bikes and then gives them away.
“Man, it makes my soul sing," said Hampton Strong President Jeff Pugh.
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Pugh runs the nonprofit.
“We’ve got a bike lane right here in front of Buckroe Coffee that gets you to three public beaches. So that was one of our driving forces. Like, get people on the road, and safely," Pugh said.
When Buckroe Coffee Co. Co-owner David Spring found out he needed some help, Spring offered to handle the bike giveaways so Pugh could focus on the everything else.
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“It just seems like a way you can give directly back to people who don’t have the very basic essentials to get to the grocery store or to get a job or anything. So, it just feels like a real impactful moment," Spring explained.
“To see that a business owner is driven like that makes me want to drive even harder," said Pugh.
Spring was also motivated by what he calls his bike test. As a way to get a feel for crime in the area, he occasionally puts a bike outside the coffee shop to see how long it takes to get stolen. One time, he tracked down the thief who said he needed a bike to get a job.
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“I just gave him the bike. It just seemed like the right thing to do," Spring said.
Daily said he’s thankful for people like Pugh and Spring.
“It’s good to know that there’s community outreach out there donating things that actually help people that really need it," said Daily.
