Troops' children get early Christmas present

HARLINGEN - Children of local soldiers preparing for deployment to a war zone received early Christmas presents Saturday.

Forty-eight bicycles and helmets were handed out as children lined up at Bicycle World on South 77 Sunshine Strip.

The gifts were made available through the Bikes for Goodness Sake Foundation, a nonprofit started in Austin last year.

The group's goal this year was to provide 600 bicycles to children of military personnel in 10 Texas cities.

"You do this out of the goodness of your heart. This is not without stress, but worth every minute of it," Bicycle World owner Kelly Roberts said.

"You're helping out the people who serve our country and this our way of giving back."

Roberts worked with the Texas Army National Guard unit headquartered in Weslaco, which provided information on 48 children. All have parents who expect to be deployed to either Afghanistan or Iraq next year.

Roberts ordered a bike for each child and her shop tailor-fitted them.

Norely Martinez, 11, of San Juan, said she was grateful to the people who gave her a new bicycle.

"I think they are very, very nice. I was thinking of maybe going to the park and ride it and my mom said maybe we can go to the lake and ride around it," Norely said.

Her mother also expressed gratitude.

"Not everybody thinks of the military kids. Somebody did and that's an awesome gesture," said Staff Sgt. Irasemi Rodriguez. Her husband, Sgt. Jose Martinez, expects to be deployed in September or October.

Another mother said the gifts were special "because a child never forgets a Christmas when they get a bike."

"Thank you for supporting the kids of these soldiers," said Marina Del Bosque, of McAllen. Her husband, Sgt. Alex Del Bosque, also will be deployed to a war zone next year.

"It's special, especially when they don't know they're going to get it and somebody just surprises them," Marina Del Bosque said. "It makes them believe in Santa Claus."