2009 Bikes for Angels campaign

The Automotive Technology Department at Ben Barber Career Tech Academy kicked off their school fundraiser, Bikes for Angels Fund for Christmas 2009.

Awesome doesn’t even begin to describe the effort by the the students at BBCTA Auto Tech. Last year, the Auto Tech students raised over $21,000 to buy 425 bicycles for Angel tree students at our Intermediate and Elementary schools in the Mansfield area. They were also able to donate 75 bikes to the Meredith Hatch Foundation in Mansfield as well as gave bikes to the YMCA of Arlington, Cleburne Family Crisis Center who assists battered women and children, Operation Blessing and Frazier Elementary School in Burleson.

It meant so much for the instructors and students delivering the bikes to see counselors, principals, teachers and some of the recipients with tears of joy in their eyes.

This year's goal
The group started the new school year with a main goal of trying to raise $25,000 and buy at least 600 bicycles for needy children who would otherwise not get bikes for Christmas.

"I have been teaching for over 20 years and have never seen a group of students get so excited about a project as they do for our Bikes for Angel’s fund," said Rick Curlee, BBCTA Auto Tech Facilitator.

"We had students bringing everything in from Ziploc bags full of change to a student turning over his weekly paycheck to help some of these children. We had many students who had actually been on Angel Trees when they were younger themselves. Our goal last year was $10,000 and we reached that goal in only three days. We would sincerely like to ask you to help us beat last year’s total by making a donation of any kind to our fund. We can use almost any type of donation."

He's not kidding! Some examples of donations the group can accept are:

• Cars, running or not, and in any shape. Cars must have title and will either be resold or scrapped
  
• Auction items (They held an Auction at their Car Show on Saturday, October 31 and raised approximately $3,000.)
  
• Scrap metal
  
• Checks, cash, even your spare change is accepted. It all adds up to bicycles.
  
• Salon Packages
• Assorted Gift Certificates
  

Students will visit classrooms, businesses, and their immediate communities trying to raise funds. Students collecting will have a color copy of this form with them. They also welcome almost any type of sponsorship for the cause.

If you have any questions about this campaign or would like to support, contact Mr. Rick Curlee at Ben Barber Career Tech Academy via e-mail curlri[at]mansfieldisd.org or by phone at 817-299-1939. If you help the campaign via a check, please make it out to: MISD Auto Tech and put "Bikes for Angels" in the memo of the check. All monies raised during this campaign go to bicycles.

2008 Bikes for Angels Photo Gallery: