Roll Out!

Some of the best childhood memories are tied to riding bikes with friends — wind at the back, breeze in the hair, fits of laughter, endless afternoons, and the joy that comes from being on the way to a favorite destination.

Wrightsville Beach business owner Jimmy Gilleece has been sharing the love for seven years now, with his successful annual children’s bike drive.

“A bike is like the first taste of freedom for a kid,” he says. “They all deserve it.”

The 2023 Jimmy’s Bike Drive began with a kickoff party on Nov. 4 at Academy Sports, which offered discounts for donated bikes and helmets on the day of the event. It runs through Dec. 16, though Gilleece accepts monetary donations and bikes all year.

This year is on track to be one of the most successful, thanks to an early sizable donation. The estate of William M. (Bingo) Bryan Jr. contributed $50,000 in memory of Virginia and Alexander McEachern Trask.

“This contribution will make a meaningful difference for the kids in North Carolina as well as the surrounding states,” says Gilleece.

Gilleece says he is also grateful to Graham Farmer, Beverly Memory, Fuss Law Firm, Bill (Uncle Willy) and Frankie Trask for their support.

Gilleece started the bike drive in 2017 by matching donations up to 10 bikes.

“We ended up with 200 that year. The next year we ended up with 417, the next year with around 760. Then we broke 1,000, then 1,100,” he says.

Last year, 1,274 bikes were collected and passed on to children.

The drive is now a tax-exempt nonprofit, allowing contributors to claim tax deductions for donations. With sponsorships from local organizations including nCino, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, the Masons, the Shriners and MegaCorp, combined with donations from individuals ranging from the wealthy to college students barely scraping by, Gilleece has been able to distribute bikes as far as the mountains of North Carolina and to Hyde County, the least populated county in the state.

“We are grateful for the partnerships we have built with different organizations, which has allowed us to donate to orphanages and many other charities. This year we are working on a major shipment to Maui,” says Gilleece.

Monetary donations allow Gilleece to purchase bikes through online retailers and ship directly to areas in need such as Maui. The drive is focusing more on helmets this year as there has been an imbalance between helmets and bikes in the past.

Each year, Gilleece places donated bikes along North Lumina Avenue for local charities to collect. Donations are accepted through Venmo or in person. More information can be obtained by reaching out to Gilleece or in person at one of the establishments he operates on Wrightsville Beach, Jimmy’s at Red Dogs and King Neptune Restaurant.