OAK HILL, Fla. – When an Oak Hill girl named Sara called police officers about her bike being stolen, she was visibly upset. Sgt. Al Perrotta took the call, and afterward decided he wanted to do something to help.
Perrotta called his colleague Lt. Richard Fortin and asked for help. The Volusia County Sheriff's Department has established a partnership with Walmart where the chain donates bikes to them that can no longer be sold due to damage. Fortin, an avid biker, refurbishes bikes for the kids out of the kindness of his heart.
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When Fortin got the call about Sara, he didn't have a bike ready to go. But, when he heard her story, he went to work refurbishing a bike just for her.
"Refurbishing all of the bikes for the kids is time-consuming, but the reaction from the kids is priceless," Fortin said. Last year, for the department's 100 Kids 100 Deputies event, he refurbished 94 bikes. He joked that his bike refurbishment workshop has started to take over the garage space at his house.
Fortin gave the bike he refurbished to Perrotta, who took it to present to Sara. Perrotta told Fortin that she was completely overwhelmed with joy, even had tears in her eyes, when she finally received her bike.
The Volusia County Sheriff's Office and Fortin are now helping local Boys & Girls Clubs and schools to help children without the means to buy a bike have a mode of transportation. Sara was one example, but for Fortin, the wheels will keep rolling to make sure children have bikes.