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Anna Maria resident provides Christmas bikes

Anna Maria resident provides Christmas bikes

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria, Community News, Featured.

ANNA MARIA – During each Christmas season, Anna Maria resident Carl Augostini, 85, provides bikes for underprivileged children and adults in need.

“This year, I did a total of 36 bikes – a new record for me, thanks to a lot of friends and neighbors who donated them from the Island and Bradenton,” Augostini said. “Eight adult bikes went to halfway houses in Sarasota, distributed by a close friend who lives there. Two bikes went to a needy family in Bradenton for Christmas. The 26 remaining bikes went to Pastor Greenidge and Charles Wade, with 18 bikes for adults and teenagers and eight bikes for children under 10 years old.”

Anna Maria resident provides Christmas bikes
Carl Augostini donated 36 repaired and refurbished bikes to local community members this year. – Carl Augostini | Submitted

Peter Greenidge is the executive pas­tor at the Light of the World church in Sarasota. Wade is the facilities administrator at Roser Memorial Community Church in Anna Maria.

Despite the threat of rain, Greenidge and Wade picked up the repaired and refurbished bikes at Augostini’s Anna Maria home on Dec. 16.

Anna Maria resident provides Christmas bikes
Peter Greenidge and Charles Wade loaded the donated bikes into a trailer. – Craig Augostini | Submitted

“My son, Craig, helped me out,” Augostini said. “He did some deliver­ies for me and helped me clean the bikes up when they were pulled out of storage. He also helped with minor repairs during clean-up that were missed during the build phase. He has been a great supporter and helps me out whenever I need strength to do something.”

Anna Maria resident provides Christmas bikes
Craig Augostini helped clean and repair the Christmas bikes. – Carl Augostini | Submitted

When asked why he does this, Augostini said, “There are several reasons. To begin with, I came from a poor family and we struggled to get a bike, not only for fun but for work and everything in between. If a family cannot afford a bike for their child, I will try to get one for them. I believe it gets them off the couch, away from their iPad, iPhone, etc., and outside for exercise and a healthier environment, making them stronger individuals and making for a better generation to come.

“Another reason I do it is because it’s a hobby for me. It keeps my mind active and keeps me out of trouble. It is unbelievable what I have learned by rebuilding bikes – the tricks of the trade. I see something different on almost every bike. I am a retired electrical engineer and this is all mechanical, but it is a challenge and I love a challenge,” Augostini said.

Anna Maria resident provides Christmas bikes
The refurbished bikes filled a stall in Carl Augostini’s garage. – Craig Augostini | Submitted

Augostini has been doing his annual bike restorations and gift presenta­tions for 13 years or so. In 2020, his charitable efforts earned him the city of Anna Maria’s Distinguished Citizen of the Year award.

“If I am healthy, I will continue to build bikes for kids for Christmas. Hopefully, they will appreciate the bikes and become a better genera­tion,” he said.

Refurbished bikes bring Christmas joy

Refurbished bikes bring Christmas joy

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria, Community News.

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.”

Refurbished bikes bring Christmas joy
Pastor Peter Greenidge picked up the bikes refurbished this year by Carl Augostini.

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.”

Anna Maria resident provides Christmas bikes

Anna Maria resident provides Christmas bikes

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria, Community News.

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.

Anna Maria resident provides Christmas bikes
Carl Augostini refurbished 12 children’s bikes this year. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

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.”

Anna Maria resident provides Christmas bikes
Carl Augostini refurbished 13 adult bikes this year. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

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.

Anna Maria resident provides Christmas bikes
This year’s fleet of refurbished bikes were displayed in Carl and Roberta Augostini’s driveway Friday afternoon. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

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.”