Boy Scout’s love of bicycling spurs Eagle project
Local Scout Bryan Froehlicher, 17, of Arlington Heights has collected and refurbished bikes for his Eagle Scout project. The completed bikes are donated to the Palatine Opportunity Center.
For Froehlicher, a junior at Buffalo Grove High School, this project is truly a labor of love. He is a licensed bicycle racer and has been competing in local and regional races for the past four years, taking fifth place in the Junior division of the American Bicycle Racing championships in 2011.
For the past two years, he has been representing the Village/Verdigris racing team.
Whenever possible, Froehlicher is seen in the Ivy Hill neighborhood training, including the winter months.
“As long as the roads are dry I consider it a good day to ride,” Froehlicher said.
His decision to center his Eagle project around his passion for biking was a natural decision.
“Being able to bring the love of biking to families that would not have the opportunity to own a bike is so very exciting for me. The possibility that I might someday see one of my bikes on the road for pleasure, or to take someone to and from work, is something that I am looking forward to,” Froehlicher said.
Plus, the number of hours required to earn the designation of Eagle Scout helped him make the decision.
“I could not imagine enjoying any other project any more than I enjoy working on this project,” he said.
Froehlicher is not alone in his labor — he has had support from his employer, Wayne Mikes, owner of Mikes Bikes shop in Palatine.
“Wayne has been so wonderful for me. He has allowed me to use his shop during the months of February and March for Scouts and volunteers to work on the bikes. His tools and knowledge have been invaluable to the project,” Froehlicher said.
Mikes has also donated parts to help complete the repairs and co-workers have joined in the project. Each bike needs to be inspected by a knowledgeable bicycle repairman before it is considered “complete and safe to ride,” and Froehlicher’s friends at the shop have been available to make final inspections each shift.
The bikes have been processed through the Froehlicher garage and the first delivery of 35 bikes took place at the beginning of the month. Bryan was even able to meet the first recipient of his project, a six-year-old boy who received his first bike through this project.
“That was an incredible moment for me — to see his smile as he walked away with a bike,” Froehlicher said.
“I can’t believe how generous the local families have been to this project. One email sent to family and friends, as well members of the Village/Verdigris cycling team, Smart Cycling team, Arlington Bike Club and Wheeling Wheelman, opened the floodgates for this project.
“A second email sent to the parishioners of St Edna Catholic Church continues to bring in the calls to collect donated bikes,” Froehlicher said.
“Each weekend I spend an entire day with my mom, Colleen, driving from location to location to collect bikes. And, after the repairs have been made, we make trip after trip to the Palatine Opportunity Center to deliver the final product.
“While I am hoping to complete the repairs and paperwork soon and earn the Eagle designation by fall, I don’t ever plan to be done donating bikes. This is a project that will continue for me long after the Eagle designation has been earned. It just feels right for me to do.”
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