Holiday drive gives kids bikes for Christmas

Almost 50 kids, ages 6 to 12, received a new bicycle at Omni Youth Services in Prospect Heights as part of an annual holiday drive.

The bikes in all sizes and colors for boys and girls were donated by international accounting firm PricewaterhouseCooper.

After the bikes were inspected for safety, they were donated to Omni for holiday distribution.

The bikes were provided to Omni, which was then tasked with finding kids who'd be the ideal recipients for the bikes.

While there was a range in kids' ages, most were about 8 years old. The kids' families were all of low to moderate income, said Jay Meyer, Omni executive director.

"Staff had to identify families who didn't have a bike and were not in a position of giving one," Meyer said.

"Christmas was not going to be very promising for these kids."

Some kids' parents told them in advance that they'd be getting a new bike, while other youngsters were completely surprised when they stopped by the Omni center with their families, Meyer said.

All the bikes came with helmets. In total, bikes with helmets cost between $120 to $130 each, he said.

Since 1972, Omni Youth Services has been providing counseling and prevention services.