Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

VIDEO: 79 First Coast Kids Surprised With New Bikes For Christmas

79 First Coast children will have a brighter Christmas thanks to the kindness of others.

Parents and their children streamed into the WJCT studios Monday evening as The Harvey Bernhardt Foundation celebrated its seasonal tradition of Random Acts of Kindness.

The foundation, along with The Boys and Girls Club and Big Brothers, Big Sisters had quite the surprise waiting for the kids: brand new bikes for each of them from Academy Sports.

Foundation Chairman Westley Bernhardt said donors – many of them anonymous – made it all possible.

“Christmas can be a very tough time, especially for so many children in the Northeast Florida area that have so little and it’s nice to be able to give them something that can make them feel  good around the holidays,” said Bernhardt.

The parents lined up at a hidden studio in the back of WJCT and then brought the bikes into the main studio to the delight of everyone, including Trinity.

“It’s pretty and it’s ‘princessy.’ I love it,” said Trinity, a young girl with a smile that can light up a room.

The Harvey Bernhardt Foundation’s mission is to provide one-time financial assistance for hardship cases related to medical or natural disasters, victims of crime or other tragedies.  

You learn more about the foundation’s mission or make a donation at its website.

Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org, 904-358-6349 or on Twitter at @BortzInJax.

Bill joined WJCT News in September of 2017 from The Florida Times-Union, where he served in a variety of multimedia journalism positions.