ANNA MARIA – Resident Carl Augostini believes every kid should have a bike and each Christmas season he donates refurbished bikes to the Light of the World International Church in Sarasota.
Charles Wade serves as the facility manager at Roser Memorial Community Church in Anna Maria and is a member of the Light of the World International Church. Every Christmas season, Wade helps ensure the delivery and distribution of the bikes Augostini refurbishes.
“We did 10 adult bikes and six children’s bikes this year,” Augostini said, noting that number was a little lower than usual due to the loss of Roberta, his wife of 59 years, in November.
On average he said he refurbishes about 20 bikes a year.
“Both my kids, Craig and Carla, have been very helpful in getting the bikes ready,” Augostini said. “I gave five bikes to a halfway house in Sarasota this summer to help those guys out.”
Pastor Peter Greenidge picked up the refurbished Christmas bikes on Dec. 14. The bikes were then distributed to children and adults at the church on Dec. 17-18.
“We enjoy helping out the kids and helping the church,” Wade said.
Augostini, a retired Xerox electrical engineer, has lived in Anna Maria for the past 25 years. He began his charitable bike refurbishing efforts about 13 years ago.
“I was rebuilding bikes for neighbors and I started accumulating bikes. I had taken care of all my neighbors and I had extra bikes one year. I asked Mike Selby, who was mayor at the time, if he knew anybody that I could give the refurbished bikes to who could distribute them to a charity. He gave me Charles Wade’s phone number and that’s how it started,” Augostini explained.
In 2020, those efforts resulted in Augostini being named the city of Anna Maria’s Distinguished Citizen of the Year.
When asked why he does this, the 84-year-old said, “I have the time and it’s a hobby for me. I think every young kid should have a bike growing up to get them out of the house and away from their cellphones, iPods, computers and all that. Most of the bikes come from junk piles that I pick up along the street when somebody throws them out. And a lot of people know I do this and they’ll bring bikes to me and leave them sitting in front of my garage doors. I already have close to 30 bikes ready to be refurbished for next year.”
