Decades later, Bicycle Man's giving spirit revived by mother of a child who received his kindness

We thought last year was the end of the program – but this year, the program has found new life.

Volunteers needed for final 'Bicycle Man' giveaway in Fayetteville

Moses and Ann Mathis may be gone, but their spirit is still here. It's simple: Put a smile on the kids' faces.

The program is still up and running thanks to the new Bicycle Madea – a name given to Bernie Bogertey-Harvey by her grandchildren.

"When I told [my grandkids] I was taking over the program, they tagged me 'The Bicycle Madea, so I have to follow my grandchildrens' wishes," she said.

Bogertey-Harvey is no stranger to the program. For years she's been on the Bicycle Man Foundation's Board of Directors.

Her son was one of the first to receive a bike from the Bicycle Man.

"I took my son over there. The Bicycle Man taught us how to repair the bike, and from that point forward, I've been connected to Mr. Mathis through his working with kids' bicycles," she said.

During its heyday, the program gave away more than 2,500 bikes a year.

The warehouse that stored those bikes is gone. The new one has about 100 bikes – but the spirit of giving is bigger than ever.

"This year, we're targeting ages one through seven," she said. "The goal is to get back to our targeted group, which is ages one through fifteen and to be able to serve our community, just as Mr. Mathis wanted."

The bicycle giveaway is December 16. Unfortunately, it's too late to register to get one this year – but it's not too late to help with donations.

The goal this year is to give away 500 bicycles, so there's still time for you to make a donation and help spread the spirit of The Bicycle Man. If you'd like to make a donation, call The Healthy Child & Adolescent Network at 910-745-8008.