From December issue of UCD
Recently, Trent Hickey rolled out several of the bikes he stored in his back building to clean when a few neighborhood children wandered over. Soon, each one left with a bike.
“I gave away 12 that day,” said Hickey, the manager of Don Hickey Used Cars in Oklahoma City.
A specialist at helping consumers drive away with cars, the Oklahoma City dealer has become known for donating two-wheel rides to children. For the past decade, Hickey, an avid cyclist, has been collecting bikes, rehabbing them and giving them away. He gives in upwards of 250 bikes per year.
“Every kid needs a bike,” Hickey said. “I give them away all year.”
It’s not just children. He collects adult bikes also and donates them to a local thrift store to give to needy individuals.
Hickey doesn’t work through an official organization, rather his efforts are supported by fellow cyclists. He and several of his friends collect the bikes. Hickey’s father, Don, who founded the dealership nearly 60 years ago, said one couple brings 20 to 30 bikes in regularly.
To store the bikes, Hickey bought a shipping container. Located near the service shop, the space is usually filled with bikes.
At Christmas time, Hickey gives away 100 to 150 bikes along with other presents.
“We start with our customers and then through word of mouth it spreads. We start at 10 a.m. [Christmas Eve] but they are lining up at the door at 7 a.m.,” Hickey said.
For Hickey, giving the bikes away is a way to share one of his passions with others. It’s also an opportunity to give back to the community.
“It’s just what I do. I believe in giving back,” he said. “The car business has been good to me, and I need to give back.”
