»In which we see further evidence that people are mean
Dozens of disabled kids lost an exhilarating link to freedom -- and a hallmark of childhood -- when thieves stole about 30 of their specially-crafted bicycles from a locked storage room in Berkeley.The bicycles, which were owned by a Berkeley nonprofit called Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program, were snatched from the north end of Aquatic Park, where the children often rode with their able-bodied families and friends.
"These kids are going to be heartbroken," Arthur Combs, BORP board president, said. "Riding a bike -- feeling the wind in your face -- for anyone is magic, but for these kids it's much more. For a lot of them it's the only self-powered locomotion they've had."
The bicycles offered the children -- who have cerebral palsy, brain injuries, paralysis, blindness and other disabilities -- a rare taste of freedom, said BORP executive director Rick Spittler.
- Carolyn Jones, Chronicle Staff Writer
Monday, December 12, 2005
Dozens of disabled kids lost an exhilarating link to freedom -- and a hallmark of childhood -- when thieves stole about 30 of their specially-crafted bicycles from a locked storage room in Berkeley.
The bicycles, which were owned by a Berkeley nonprofit called Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program, were snatched from the north end of Aquatic Park, where the children often rode with their able-bodied families and friends.
"These kids are going to be heartbroken," Arthur Combs, BORP board president, said. "Riding a bike -- feeling the wind in your face -- for anyone is magic, but for these kids it's much more. For a lot of them it's the only self-powered locomotion they've had."
The bicycles offered the children -- who have cerebral palsy, brain injuries, paralysis, blindness and other disabilities -- a rare taste of freedom, said BORP executive director Rick Spittler.
"This is a big hit for us and for the kids," Spittler said. "Riding a bike is freedom. For these kids, it's the first time in their lives they're moving fast, making time. It'll affect our kids directly."
BORP discovered the theft Friday when Danny Zolotow, who works for the group that subleases the city-owned storage room to BORP, discovered what turned out to be one of the bicycles at the Oakland Coliseum flea market.
Zolotow thought BORP might be able to use the hand-powered bicycle, so he bought it for $130. The bike, which bore the name "Alicia," turns out to have been stolen from BORP. Alicia is a girl enrolled in the program, and her bicycle is worth about $2,000.
When Zolotow told Spittler about his find, the BORP executive director "thought the whole thing sounded kind of odd, so I went down to the storeroom to see what was up."
He found a completely empty room. Thieves had broken in through the adjacent storeroom, leased by the Berkeley High School girls' crew team, and stolen everything -- every bike, every helmet, every tire and every pump. The value of the bikes tops $85,000, Combs said.
The theft probably occurred in the preceding days, Spittler said. BORP usually takes the bikes out every weekend, but had taken a break since the weather turned cold. The next ride was scheduled for January, although that will now be canceled, Spittler said.
Insurance will cover a small percentage of the loss, and BORP will try to raise money to replace the rest of the bikes, which take several months to build because they're so specially crafted.
Each bike is suited to a specific disability. Children with cerebral palsy or brain injuries use three-wheeled bikes that accommodate their lack of balance. Blind children ride bikes built for two. Children who cannot use their legs ride hand-powered bikes.
"We have a whole fleet of the wackiest bikes you've ever seen," Combs said.
Most of the bikes were donated about three years ago by the nonprofit Athletes Helping Athletes with funding from Berkeley-based Clif Bar.
Berkeley police spokesman Officer Joe Okies said detectives have a few solid leads but he would not elaborate because the investigation is ongoing.
In the meantime, BORP officials and parents will comb flea markets, Craigslist and eBay for the stolen bicycles, which are easily identified because they are labeled with the children's names.
"We're hopeful we can recover most of the bikes," Spittler said. "Hopefully we can get this all taken care of by March, when we start the weekly rides again."
E-mail Carolyn Jones at carolynjones@sfchronicle.com.
