Justin Surrency and his friends remember how important it was to have a bike as kids. “Having a bike as a kid was a big deal,” Surrency said. “It gave us a sense of independence.”
Surrency is the owner of FastKicks Academy in Seffner, and for the last 15 years, he and his friends have strung Christmas lights around their bikes and then rode them all around downtown Plant City and beyond, stopping at local bars and restaurants along the way. “It was just something we did during the holidays for fun,” Surrency said. “As we got older, we realized that we should make the ride meaningful and make it something for the community, so we decided to raise some money and buy bikes for kids in need in our community. The first year, we bought 10 bikes and donated them to local elementary schools.” Bikes & Brews was born.
Bikes & Brews is not a local nonprofit; it’s more of a grassroots effort among friends who want to have fun and bring some joy to local kids during the holiday season. “It’s just a big group of our friends that have been doing it for years now,” said Travis Pack, or “Captain Pack” as he’s known by the locals of Plant City. “Justin does most of the hard work, and we just help where we can.”
Surrency starts fundraising in November of each year through the Bikes & Brews’ Facebook page. “We sell t-shirts for the actual bike ride, and we take donations as well,” Surrency said. “I try and get all the bikes bought during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, then we work with a local business to host a bike build. All our friends show up at the bike build location, and we build the bikes for the kids and have fun.”
This year’s bike build was held at Three Hands Mead on Sunday, Dec. 14. The group built 72 bikes for local kids in need. “I work with the guidance counselors at local title-one schools, and they select the students who are in need of a bike, and then we pick a day to have the bikes delivered to the school.”
Captain Pack is in charge of delivering the bikes to the local schools. “I help with the delivery of bikes to the elementary schools,” Pack said. “We get to talk with the guidance counselors that will be picking who gets the bikes, and they’re always so appreciative of it. I think every kid should have a bike. I remember the importance of having a bike when I was a kid, and I love being a part of something that gives more kids that opportunity.”
Once the bikes are delivered, it’s time for the Bikes & Brews crew to have their holiday fun. Their holiday ride took place on Saturday, Dec. 20. “We had our pre-ride bike check at Beef O’Brady’s in Plant City, where we help string Christmas lights on each other’s bikes and make sure they work,” Surrency said. “Then we headed over to Duke’s Brew House to start the ride and then into downtown Plant City for more fun.”
To learn more about Bikes & Brews or if you would like to help with next year’s event, you can contact Surrency at info@fastkicksacademy.com.
