Santa needs help at Mission Arlington_102003

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Posted: 10/17/03

Santa needs help at Mission Arlington

By George Henson

Staff Writer

ARLINGTON–Wanted: People with enough mechanical ability to inflate a tire and light up a smile. Additional mechanical ability a plus. Call (214) 405-5223 or (817) 226 8143, ext. 233 for more information.

The Seekers Sunday School class at First Baptist Church in Arlington decided earlier this year to help Mission Arlington, a ministry arm of the church, by fixing up bicycles to give to underprivileged children at Christmas time. So far, working every Tuesday night since August, they have reconditioned more than 100 bikes. The exact count was lost long ago because the men are too busy fixing bikes to count them.

Jim Smith of First Baptist Church in Arlington gives a bicycle a diagnostic inspection before making repairs.

Donations have far outstripped the number repaired, however, and now almost 500 bikes are awaiting attention.

“A lot of times, it's just a matter of airing up the tires and adjusting the cables,” explained Ron Helmintaler. “But those things have to be done, and they take time away from the bikes that need more extensive repairs.”

The Tuesday night work crew typically is four to six people. They are praying some additional helpful hands might come forward.

“If they had some mechanical abilities and a tool set, that would be great, but some of the bikes need attention just about anyone can provide,” Helmintaler said.

Helmintaler, who put himself through college assembling bicycles for Sears, and Jim Smith do most of the extensive repairs, but Smith said they are looking for some people to share the load.

“If someone has some mechanical ability, I'm an instructor by trade, and I can teach them what they need to know,” he said.

The men say they enjoy the time they spend together preparing the bikes that will make many children's Christmas much more enjoyable than it would have been.

“I enjoy fixing things and working with my hands,” Smith said, “but I really don't look at this as labor. It's fun and a lot less frustrating than golf.”

Louis Heinze said he doesn't have the mechanical ability of the other men, but he does whatever is needed. One of his primary duties is transporting the bicycles. And until warehousing space recently was acquired, the repairs were done in his garage.

“The time we put in this is well worthwhile,” he said. “We are trying to help Mission Arlington, which is in turn helping so many kids.”

Helping Mission Arlington was the impetus behind the donation of the current repair shop on Division Street, west of Six Flags Mall.

“When we called Karen Siewinski to see if she had any space available, she was thrilled to help. She is not a member of First Baptist, but she was aware of Mission Arlington and its efforts to help families and said she had always wanted to do something to help Mission Arlington,” Helmintaler said.

Now the men don't have to transport bikes to be fixed each week; they have 500 of them waiting in the borrowed space, with the prospect of more to come.

They've got the wheels. Now they just need some helping hands.

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