ANNA MARIA – Carl Augostini thinks every kid should have a bike, and he spends his own time and money trying to make that happen.
Each year, Augostini and Charles Wade team up to provide bikes to local kids and adults in need.
Augostini repairs and refurbishes the bikes, and Wade helps put the bikes into the hands of those who want and need them. Wade is the facilities administrator for Roser Memorial Community Church in Anna Maria.
On Friday, 25 bicycles stood in Augostini’s driveway waiting to be picked up.
“We’ve got 13 adult bikes and we have 12 children’s bikes,” Augostini said.
Augostini was asked where the bikes came from.
“The junk pile. My friends and neighbors drop them off and I take them and rebuild them. I start in January, right after Christmas, and I work all year on them. I’ve got a pile of old ones now waiting to get refurbished,” he said.
When asked why he does this, Augostini said, “Because I think every kid should have a bike. And if they can’t afford it, I’m one of the guys that’s going to get them one.”
Augostini, a retired electrical engineer, said he had no particular affiliation to bicycles when he started this project several years ago. He said he met Wade about 10 years ago, when then-Mayor Mike Selby put the two men in touch with one another.
“I had a bunch of bikes and I asked Mike how I could donate them to somebody. He gave me Charles’ name. I contacted Charles and he finds a home for them each year,” Augostini said.
“The church I go to, Light of the World, is picking them up today and we’re going to have a big Christmas event in Sarasota on Saturday for the kids – and for adults who may need bicycles to get around and get to work. It’s all about giving,” Wade said.
“We’ve been doing this for 10 or 11 years. I got involved because I love helping people, giving and doing the things God allows me to do. Carl is the bike man. I watch him and tell him he’s very talented at what he does. He usually has 15 bicycles, but this year it was 25,” Wade said.
Wade said one of the Light of the World pastors told him the need for bicycles is even greater this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic challenges the pandemic has created.
“There’s so many kids wanting bicycles whose parents lost their jobs or some other situation happened. If we can get bicycles to them, that’s a beautiful thing,” Wade said.
Augostini expressed his thanks to all who helped make this year’s bike donation possible.
“I want to thank all my neighbors and friends that drop off the bikes, and I’ve got some donations to help pay for tires and tubes, which have gone up in price, and parts that I need. A lot of the parts I take from bikes that are unrepairable. I thank all those people that have been a great help,” Augostini said.
He also thanked his wife for her neverending support of his efforts.
“My wife, Roberta, keeps me going,” Augostini said, noting he already has approximately 30 bikes to use for next year’s project.
The couple’s son, Craig Augostini, and Craig’s wife, Lisa, were also on hand Friday. They live in Rochester, New York and are visiting for the holidays.
“He’s an inspiration,” Craig Augostini said of his father. “He’s something else. He’s a fantastic guy. My sister and I look to him as the greatest. We always had bikes and he taught me how to fix my bikes, mini-bikes, motorcycles and cars. I’m very mechanical, just like him.”
