BY LANI GOINS

Special to The Press

Lehigh Valley Coalition for Appropriate Transportation, 1935 W. Broad St., Bethlehem, is giving away bikes and helmets this holiday season for children ages 3-12 who need a bicycle. .

Volunteers at CAT refurbish old bikes and give them to children in need.

The process takes volunteers about four hours to rehabilitate a bike.

When a child comes to receive a bike, CAT volunteers make sure the bike fits the child, and they even have the child help with adding or removing training wheels.

If a helmet is needed, it is provided.

Bikes are available through Dec. 30, or while supplies last. CAT wants to distribute 75 bikes this season.

Helmets and education are provided on site, sponsored by Lehigh Valley Transportation Study and PennDOT.

Community members are welcome to sponsor the bikes, and may include a holiday message for the child.

CAT volunteers also made a bicycle training course on the blacktop at Friendship Park, North Street, Bethlehem.

The course has plenty of turns and stops, so new riders can practice steering and stopping.

Bikes are given out by appointment. Call 610-954-5744 or email cat@lvcat.org.

Other programs

CAT also offers a program for those age 16 and older.

The program is open to Lehigh County residents who live outside Allentown or Bethlehem cities.

Residents of the following municipalities are eligible:

Alburtis, Catasauqua, Coopersburg, Coplay, Emmaus, Fountain Hill, Macungie, Slatington, and Hanover, Heidelberg, Lower Macungie, Lower Milford Lowhill, Lynn, North Whitehall, Salisbury, South Whitehall, Upper Macungie, Upper Milford, Upper Saucon, Washington, Weisenberg and Whitehall townships.

The adult bikes are part of a grant program that does not cover the cities of Bethlehem and Allentown, which are covered under a separate grant.