Bicycles don't fit comfortably under the Christmas tree, and they're probably a bit cumbersome for ol' Santa Claus to haul in his sleigh. Luckily, there are folks like Joe Urias, Russ Leix and the volunteers of St. Nick's Christmas Club who are more than happy to transport bikes to a few lucky families this holiday season.
As owner of Mojo Cycling, Urias has been giving away bicycles to the club for the past nine years or so. Oftentimes the bikes arrive to his downtown Newton shop in disrepair or just aren't utilized as often as they once were. So, Urias fixes them up and donates them to St. Nick's volunteers, who disperse the bikes.
"We've got a very giving community," Urias said. "I think the first year I did it was 2012, and we've been doing this ever since. I've been giving seven or eight bikes away every year. This year I've got more bikes downstairs. Get 'em out. Fix 'em up. Get 'em back into the community. And that's awesome."