President Cites the 'Bicycle Man' for Gifts to Children
Fayetteville, N.C. — “Bicycle Man” Moses Mathis is no secret Santa in Fayetteville, but his fix-up-and-giveaway good works got official recognition Friday when he received two presidential awards from the White House.
As needy kids picked out new or newly refurbished bikes from among the hundreds that Mathis and his volunteers had collected and worked on for the 15th year in a row, he was given the President’s Call to Service Award certificate and a letter from President Bush.
The award recognizes a minimum of 4,000 hours of lifetime volunteer service. Mathis also got a Volunteer Service Award that recognizes giving 500 hours of time in one year.
“I got a whole lot of good stuff from the White House. I can’t describe how it felt. I know it felt good,” Mathis said after U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge delivered the awards from the president.
Of the 4,000-hour threshold, Etheridge said, “He has done more than that to be given the citation, but he’s changing lives.”
"We saw a need in our community to bring our community together," Mathis said in explaining why he became the "Bicycle Man" a decade and a half ago.
Cumberland County social service workers recommend children for the bike program. Some kids also get computers for which Mathis arranged.
The two-wheel wonder-worker will move to a new location on Russell Street for next Christmas. The property where he has been working has been sold to help fund development of Martin Luther King Park next door.
As needy kids picked out new or newly refurbished bikes from among the hundreds that Mathis and his volunteers had collected and worked on for the 15th year in a row, he was given the President’s Call to Service Award certificate and a letter from President Bush.
The award recognizes a minimum of 4,000 hours of lifetime volunteer service. Mathis also got a Volunteer Service Award that recognizes giving 500 hours of time in one year.
“I got a whole lot of good stuff from the White House. I can’t describe how it felt. I know it felt good,” Mathis said after U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge delivered the awards from the president.
Of the 4,000-hour threshold, Etheridge said, “He has done more than that to be given the citation, but he’s changing lives.”
"We saw a need in our community to bring our community together," Mathis said in explaining why he became the "Bicycle Man" a decade and a half ago.
Cumberland County social service workers recommend children for the bike program. Some kids also get computers for which Mathis arranged.
The two-wheel wonder-worker will move to a new location on Russell Street for next Christmas. The property where he has been working has been sold to help fund development of Martin Luther King Park next door.
- Reporter: Bryan Mims
- Photographer: Edward Wilson
- Web Editor: Ron Gallagher
Copyright 2009 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
1 Comment
-
- Island mourns those lost in fireworks explosion
Posted at 12:58 p.m. |
- N.C. tax overhaul still alive in budget talks
Updated at 12:12 p.m. - N.C. State student drowns in Jordan Lake
Updated 17 minutes ago - Man dies in Lillington house fire
Updated 45 minutes ago - Scotland Neck man, woman dead in murder-suicide
Posted at 8:28 a.m.
- Island mourns those lost in fireworks explosion
- Most Viewed Slideshows
- Ocracoke Island fireworks truck explosion
Updated at 8:59 a.m. - Summer Fun 2009
Updated at 10:50 a.m. - Your photos: Fourth of July celebrations
Updated at 12:41 p.m.
- Ocracoke Island fireworks truck explosion
top-voted stories
(8 votes) missing wallaby found
(8 votes) n.c. state student drowns in jordan lake
(4 votes) man dies in lillington house fire
(4 votes) teen missing in neuse river
-
Cityscapes of the TriangleTake a tour through the urban landscapes of the Triangle's cities and towns.
-
Michael Jackson (1958-2009)The life and death of Michael Jackson in video and photos.
-
A year of N.C. Drought MapsView a time lapse animation of drought conditions during the last year.
-
'Antiques Roadshow' in RaleighThe "Antiques Roadshow" taped Saturday, June 27, 2009, at the Raleigh Convention Center, where over 5,000 ticket holders lined up to learn what…
-
The week in entertainmentA look at the top entertainment stories this week through the lenses of Associated Press photographers.





STORIES
VIDEOS
SLIDESHOWS

Welcome to GOLO, where WRAL.com visitors can comment on stories and create profile pages, blogs and photo galleries.
You must be a registered WRAL.com user to use these tools. Click here to register or log in.