Answering the Call

By Anna Grace Moore
Photos by Kelsea Schafer & Contributed

Colossians 3:17: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Humble Beginnings

Raised by his grandparents, Charlie Bradford graduated high school and went straight to work in the construction industry, eventually creating his own business, Lucas Homes LLC.

Although he did not have much growing up, Charlie remembers his grandmother’s loving smile, her tender heart poured out over the kitchen table as each meal she fed him was a labor of love. That was enough for him.

Fast forward to 2019, Charlie took his grandmother’s blessings and began multiplying them ten-fold, as he, too, began cooking and delivering meals to families in need in his community. One day, Charlie was delivering meals to an elderly lady in Vincent, when he ran into the woman’s grandson whose bicycle had broken.

Having always had a “mechanical mind,” Charlie took the bike home and fixed it, bringing it back to the little boy. Pure joy radiated from that young one’s face as he saw his bike–which had been broken for at least a month–all shiny and new.

The boy jumped on the bike and rode for hours, gleefully biking back and forth in the front driveway. Charlie never forgot that precious child’s smile.

The Burden We Bear

The COVID-19 pandemic struck the less fortunate harder than any other, crippling families to rely much on the generosity of their neighbors. Charlie remembers several of his friends losing their jobs, left wondering how they would put food on the table for their families.

Charlie went to bed one night feeling powerless, but he woke up the next morning with a calling from God: Start donating bikes to children in need. A little timid but fueled by his faith, Charlie said, “Okay.”

“As a kid, waking up on Christmas morning, a new bicycle was everything, especially if you were growing up poor,” he says.

Not knowing how he would start, Charlie created a Facebook group, asking for donations of children’s bikes. The group’s popularity grew like wildfire, amassing 1,500 members by the end of the week.

“Everybody has got an old bicycle laying around,” Charlie says. “I could do 10 or 12 bicycles for kids and take them to the next level and personalize them. Whatever they can come up with in their mind, we put into the paint decals–put their name on it, too. It’s a custom bike built specifically for that kid.”

On Nov. 1, 2020, Bikes 4 Kids was founded, and by Dec. 25, the nonprofit donated 160 bicycles as Christmas presents. While not everyone could donate a bike, many donated financially, enabling Charlie to donate meals and clothing for struggling families during both the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

By May 2021, the nonprofit grew to answer the needs of children in multiple states up the East Coast. Today, the group’s following has reached a combined 6,000 followers across several platforms, and more than 3,000 children have been helped since its inception.

More than 2,000 bicycles have been donated, too. Charlie and his children upcycle donations at their workshop in Chelsea along with other local volunteers.

Although a meticulous process, restoring these gifts is worth every penny, he says.

The first bicycle that Bikes 4 Kids ever gifted was to a young boy named Zac, whose grandfather passed away around Thanksgiving the year prior. Charlie custom-built a bike boasting the moniker, “In Memory of Meadows,” (Zac’s grandfather’s last name).

The bike was green, black and white, and it had both Zac’s grandfather’s Agent Orange patch and newly-made dog tags embedded into the design. Charlie says Zac loved the thoughtful gift so much that he hung it in his room instead of riding it, wanting to commemorate his grandfather’s sacrifices during the Vietnam War.

“I love it,” Charlie says of restoring bikes for children. “It gives me motivation to keep doing what I’m doing and let God guide me through it.”

Several hundred donations later, Charlie faced his most challenging call to action. He custom-built a bicycle for a young boy battling stage IV neuroblastoma.

Gage Roper, who only lived to be 8 years old, embodied the best in humanity. Passionate and full of life, Gage was diagnosed with cancer as a toddler, and after numerous rounds of chemotherapy, he was told later on that his disease was incurable.

Gage made the brave decision to stop his treatment and live his life to the fullest, however long that may be. When Charlie heard his story, he knew he had to help.

At the 2024 Deep South Crawfish Rodeo in Jemison, the Chilton County Fire Department named Gage the “honorary fire chief,” and during the rodeo’s announcement, Charlie presented a brand-new, custom-made bicycle for Gage.

“That kid’s eyes lit up,” Charlie says, tearfully. “He jumped on that bike and rode it in the area. I never imagined the bicycle would do this much for a dying kid.”

Bikes 4 Kids shared Gage’s story, and all across the country, people began mailing him presents and praying for him and his family.

“That kid got something in the mail every single day for a month before he passed away,” Charlie says. “He got a handmade calf blanket. The day that he passed away, he got it that morning and passed away at noon covered up in that blanket. It was unbelievable how God touched that kid because he was never supposed to be able to do anything but lay in a bed and die, but that wasn’t Gage. Gage lived every day up until he was gone.”

Even more than patrons were able to bless Gage, Charlie says Gage’s undying spirit and bravery in his final days blessed an entire wave of people. At such a young age, he fathomed death as inevitable, and yet, he chose to live as he thought Jesus would even through the bitter end.

Gage Roper died a hero. Because of him, people felt the love of Jesus, and some may have even come to find the Lord because of his testimony.

All Charlie did, he says, was give the gift of a bicycle.

Looking to the Horizon

Bikes 4 Kids hosts numerous fundraisers throughout the year. On May 18, Bikes 4 Kids joined forces with Provincial Pub in Columbiana, hosting a fundraising night that raised more than $1,200 not just for the nonprofit, but also for The Clint Mooney Scholarship Foundation and a local resident battling cancer, Bailey Lewis.

Then on July 6, Bikes 4 Kids hosted its annual car show, featuring more than 30 cars, food trucks, inflatables, a cornhole tournament and other family-friendly activities. More than 100 community members showed up, helping raise several thousands of dollars for the nonprofit.

The largest event-to-date, however, has been the Bikes 4 Kids Rodeo, which took place on Sept. 27-28. With more than 3,000 in attendance, the rodeo featured all kinds of competitions such as bareback riding, saddle bronc, steer wrestling, tie-down roping, barrel racing, bull riding and more.

The city of Chelsea made a $10,000 donation towards the event and pledged to continue its support in the coming years.

“Our ultimate goal in the end is to build a place local here to Chelsea, not necessarily in Chelsea, but local enough that our surrounding communities can come to the building and bring their kids there and either build their own bicycle themselves or learn to give back to other kids in need,” Charlie says. “During the holidays, they can come in and actually help us build bikes for these kids in need.”

Bikes 4 Kids has also started custom-making bicycles for children with special needs, ensuring that every child, no matter his abilities, can have the chance to ride a bike and feel included.

As Christmas 2024 approaches, Charlie says he has set his sights on restoring and donating more than 400 bicycles for Bikes 4 Kids’ ever-growing list of children in need. The community’s support is crucial in the nonprofit achieving its goals, and he feels so thankful that the Shelby County community has been bountiful in its blessings.

“It’s the most humbling and gratifying thing you’ll ever do in your life,” Charlie says of blessing the less fortunate. “It has humbled me to the core.”

Hardships in life are inevitable. However, one does not have to face them alone.

Because Charlie answered the Lord’s calling on his life, thousands of children have received Christmas presents, families have received meals and clothing and people have come to know the Lord.

One does not have to be rich to make a difference. He does not have to be a great speaker or have a huge following on social media, either.

All it takes to change the world is the courage to be obedient and say, “yes,” to the Lord’s calling on one’s life.

To learn more information about Bikes 4 Kids and how to donate, follow the nonprofit on Facebook (Bikes 4 Kids Inc. B4K).