By Payton Tholstrup

According to a report from Joseph Robben at WIBW, Steven Hill of Clay Center has been refurbishing bikes for over 40 years. He even has 300 bikes of his own.

Hill explained that his father is the one who helped him begin his journey with fixing bikes. When he was a kid, he would destroy the back wheel and his dad would take it apart and put it back together for him. The last time he destroyed the wheels, his dad made him put it back together himself. It took Hill 2 hours but from then on, he was the one fixing his bike each time it needed repairs.

Knowing his passion for working on bikes, his cousin suggested he start remodeling bikes and donating them to children. Hill pursued the idea and has now given100 bikes to the Elks Lodge in Clay Center during their toy drive at Christmas time.

Hill works on all kinds of bikes, whether they are old or new. Once they are all fixed up, he donates them. “I mean I’m just so happy to see the kids have that bicycle and have something to ride,” Hill shared.

Trish Halstead, an officer at the Elks, told WIBW that Hill is a wonderful human being and that he is very generous. “They’re all used bikes, but when we hand them out to the kids, they are new to them. He replaces the seats, he replaces the handlebars, the chains, anything that they need to make them look like brand new bikes for those kids,” she said.

Hill also donates his time by volunteering at the Lighthouse for Christ in Clay Center. He typically works in the donation receiving room.

The look on the children’s faces when they get their new bike makes him want to continue doing this for a long time. He said that if anyone has a bike they need fixed, or if they would like to donate a bike, they can bring them by his house at 207 9th Street in Clay Center.