Santa doesn’t always wear a red suit. Sometimes the suit is blue with a striped tie. Sometimes the sleigh is a U-Haul truck full of bicycles, and sometimes the elves are just regular people wanting to help put smiles on children’s faces.

One of those “elves” is Ed Ray, who along with other members of Pell City Kiwanis, spent the past month fixing bicycles to donate to foster children. Ray owned White’s Auto Shop in Ozark and worked for RCA as a telemetry engineer for over 20 years, so fixing things comes naturally.

“If you have the right tools, you can fix anything,” Ray said, as he adjusted the seat on one of the bicycles. “I’ve enjoyed doing it. We rented a U-haul and brought half (of the bicycles) from a warehouse in Anniston.” Those bicycles, now repaired, were reloaded onto trailers and truck beds to be donated.

In a joint effort with Bill Wakefield, owner of Martin’s Family Clothing, Pell City Kiwanis refurbished close to 50 bicycles which were donated to the St. Clair County Department of Human Resources (DHR) for foster children this Christmas.

“Some needed tires, handlebars, and repairs,” Dana Jacks, secretary of Pell City Kiwanis said. “We have fixed around 40 since Thanksgiving.”

The bicycles were purchased from retail outlets, which received them as returns and cannot resale them “as-is.” Wakefield originally purchased around 450 bicycles, distributing them throughout multiple areas. Approximately 250 were given out in Calhoun County with the help of the Anniston Kiwanis Club. Some were given to the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind and around 25 were given to a local fire department. Pell City’s donations were the last of the bicycles to be given away.