Stories like these do the heart good.
Local kids were asked to design a logo for this year’s Paddle for Paws, an annual kayak and paddleboard excursion off Cudjoe Key whose entry fees benefitted the Florida Keys SPCA.
Michael Barrett, a 10-year-old fifth grader at Poinciana Elementary School, won first place for his drawing of a cat and a dog paddling a kayak together.
What did he win? A brand new bike and helmet, donated by the Big Pine Bicycle Center.
“I was so surprised that I won first place and a new bike,” Michael told the Keys Weekly on Jan. 23. “But… I already have a bike, and I just thought there must be a kid who needs it way more than me. So I decided to donate it.”
With help from his parents, Michael contacted the local Boys & Girls Club, which provides safe and affordable after-school care for more than 100 local families with school-aged kids.
On Jan. 23, Michael and his mom took the bike to the club’s headquarters at Bayview Park, where Michael gave it to a beaming Keion Hodges.
“He seemed really, really happy,” Michael said. “It’s a great bike. And I think he had wanted a bike for Christmas, but didn’t get one. I just knew someone else needed a bike more than me. So I felt really good about giving it away.”
