Vivianna
“Vivianna Castro. She is hard working. She was struggling with math all year. She worked hard every day and went from failing every test at the beginning of the year to getting 100% at the end of the year. She is kind and compassionate. Her teachers and school staff tells me that she helps out the students who are in Special Education and that she stands up for them when they can’t stand up for themselves. She is loving and caring. She lost her teacher in 3rd grade, she died in the middle of the year from a stroke, and an uncle last year. She has gone through a lot emotionally the past year but has come out on the other side in a positive manner. She cares for all living creatures. She is an amazing human and I would love to do something nice for her as we are financially cannot afford to get her a bike.”
Ava
“My Daughter, Ava. She is the sweetest and most deserving child. She received her first bike for Christmas. A child in our complex did not receive many things for Christmas . My daughter with no hesitation gave her, her bike. Of course I was shocked but after speaking with the child’s parents an also noticing the mom struggled to provide gifts for her child , I felt it was such a kind act of kindness. And I did not want to say NO and have her second guess herself everytime she thought about doing something kind for someone . Santa (mom&dad) still think about it until this day . But we let the bike go. The other child is no longer our neighbor and my daughter has recently said she hopes Santa brings her another bike . She hopes that he saw she doesn’t have it anymore .”
Carmen
“I would like to nominated my biological niece now daughter Carmen Aguilar she just turned 12 .10yrs ago I received a phone call from Dcfs my sister battled drug addiction for 20 yrs and there was no to care for her and her sister Rita who 15 .My brother was dying and tried he pleaded with me to step up so he could die in peace Carmen was shy of2 years old Rita 5 they were so scaredthe 1st night and the next day Carmen was luke hi Mommy Carmen has always helped me clean and been my right hand 2yrsago she started asking serious questions about pics stories pregnancy and I had never told the truth not on purpose So I got a therapist and telling her the truth was devastating Carmen deserves this”
Penelope Ella
“I would love to nominate my daughter Penelope Ella. She is a true blessing to our family. She was born with a Cleft pallet & we were told she would probably not be able to hear from both ears & she would have speech delay because of her hearing and also there was an eye issue that started to develop but the eye issue sorted itself out in the womb, Thankfully! and after having Cleft pallet repair surgery & hearing tubes in the ears, and ongoing speech therapy she has come so far and can see, hear and speak great, a true miracle. Ella is such a great kid, she loves people & loves to help out at our church and everywhere we go, if she see’s a unhoused person she asks me if we can buy them food and give them money, and we’ll ask if they want prayer and Ella will say a small prayer for them 😭🤧 this lil girl is a Ray of Sunshine from the minute she wakes up she asks what she can help with, either to help make breakfast or help cleanup her bed and desk, the whole day shes attentive to the needs of people around us and family and siblings, friends, neighbors they all love her & say she is the kindest little girl. We are truly blessed to have Ella in our lives & I would love to see her wish of having a “big girl bike” come to fruition, I cant think of another child as deserving as her, she always wants to give and make others smile and happy & her joyous spirit is so contagious! When she grows up she says she wants to be a Dr, a Lawyer & a Vetenarian to help people & animals.”
Sofia
“I would like to nominate my beautiful smart kind daughter Sofia I nominate her for her kind caring heart here’s a few reasons one of them is because I’ve been suffering from seizures and she’s so nice and caring so yesterday I had to go to the emergency room because I was feeling off and two weeks ago I had I really bad seizure where I was unresponsive she’s calling to check up on me and she’s there for me and she has a sweet caring heart I love that about her she even cries about me not getting better and she wants the best for me she’s also so caring at her school for example if some kids at her school are being mean to other students she tries her best to stand up for example a student was being rude to a student telling him he was autistic and my daughter told the person making rude comments to stop if they didn’t have nothing nice to say don’t say anything at all and I just love her caring heart my daughter is so special to me not only because she’s my daughter but because she’s always by my side she’s caring about me when I get sick and she even calls the ambulance for me when I have a seizure and she’s saved my life a few times I’m so proud of her for her caring heart and for her strength to stand up to kids even though it’s tuff to do so”
Ilyas
“It’s my honor to nominate Ilyas Yasin. This boy is sprinkles companion & kindness everywhere he goes. Often when we’re driving around, if he comes in contact with a person who is house less, he always rolls down his window and offers them his school lunch. He also brings in our elderly neighbors packages and trash cans off the street. Ilyas is an excellent reader who spends most of his time with his face deep in a book at the ripe age of 13. He’s a great influence on his brothers, specifically his younger brother that looks up to him who he often watches at home while parents are working. He is extremely responsible and does daily task at home like, feeds both dogs, gives our senior dog her meds, puts all the clean dishes away, vacuums, makes him and his brothers lunch. Walks the big dog too. He had a handmedowm bike that was handed down to him that he loved and rode it daily with his neighbor bestie, but unfortunately a few months ago someone hopped our fence into our backyard and stole his bike. Unfortunately living next to the alley in NoHo, our home is exposed to a lot of alley traffic. He was crushed but said maybe they needed it more. I would love nothing more then to nominate this sweet deserving considerate upright human of a boy.”
Oliver
“I would like to nominate my oldest child, Oliver. He is 16 years old. Our family lost our home last year in Altadena in the Eaton fire. Oliver’s three younger siblings have all been given bikes since the fire, but Oliver still does not have a bike. He misses his mountain bike, but he was adamant that his younger siblings needed a bike more than he did. Oliver has been so strong and giving through this horrible situation and I would love for him to get something special for himself. We are currently renting in Shadow Hills while we are trying to rebuild.”
Jeremiah
“I am honored to nominate my son, Jeremiah Ochoa, for the Bikes for Kids Giveaway. At just 12 years old, Jeremiah has shown that true success isn’t measured by trophies or awards, but by character, perseverance, and the way you serve others. He is preparing to begin middle school this fall, and I could not be more proud of the young man he is becoming. Jeremiah was diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age, which has made learning more challenging than it is for many children. Rather than becoming discouraged, he has learned to persevere. He works hard in school, asks for help when he needs it, and continues to grow with determination and resilience. Watching him face obstacles with such a positive attitude has been one of my greatest joys as his parent. This year, Jeremiah has volunteered more than 30 hours serving our community through a nonprofit organization. He enjoys helping others and seeing how his help can bring a smile to their face . Whether he’s assisting at community events or lending a hand wherever he’s needed, he serves with kindness, humility, and a genuine heart. Jeremiah has also earned his black belt in Taekwondo, an achievement that represents years of dedication, discipline, respect, and perseverance. The lessons he has learned through martial arts have shaped him into a young man who is respectful, responsible, and willing to work hard to accomplish his goals. One of the things that makes Jeremiah unique is that, at 12 years old, he is just beginning to learn how to ride a bike. While many children learned years ago, this summer he set a personal goal to finally master it. Receiving a bike would represent an opportunity to achieve a goal he has worked towards and enjoy the freedom, confidence, and memories that come with it as he begins middle school. Jeremiah may not seek recognition for the things he does, but he quietly leads through his actions. He chooses kindness, works hard when things are difficult, serves his community without expecting anything in return, and continues striving to become the best version of himself. Those are the qualities that make him truly deserving of this opportunity.With sincere appreciation, thank you for considering Jeremiah for this incredible opportunity.”
Michael
“I want to nominate my son Michael. He is the kindest little boy and so patience with all that we have happening right now. He is always overshadowed from friends by his older sister. But no matter what she gets or does he is always smiling and never complains. Financially we have been very tight lately and he always offers any money he gets to help us with our bills. I cant even begin to tell you how much of a kind soul this little man is. He does everything and anything to try and help us out. Even spending his EBT money for food for us instead of on himself. He gets very little because of the hardship lately but always says it’s okay dad you are the best and I will just wear these clothes another year. He deserves so much more but I know he would love a bike to be able to ride around with his sister. Right now he just runs behind her down the street. Thank you for your time.”
Norah
“I would like to nominate my daughter, Norah Sung. She recently turned 6 years old on July 1st, and what makes her special is her ability to care for others and showing empathy towards them. As Norah continues to grow up, I see her put others before herself and wanting to put a smile on other people’s faces. This past year, she started kindergarten, and it was the first year at her elementary school. Even though she didn’t know anyone, she was willing to play with students who were alone. During Back to School Night in the beginning of the school year, one of her classmates’ parents approached me and told me that Norah was been playing with her each day, and that meant so much to her because her daughter, Rowan, had difficulty initiating on her own and making friends. Through Norah’s initiation, Rowan has reached out to have play dates. Another example is when she picked the last ice cream at a birthday party, and a younger child did not receive one. He was pretty sad and upset, and Norah recognized that he did not receive the ice cream. So, she was willing to give her ice cream any initiation. I asked her why she would do that and she said she wanted to make sure all the other kids were happy, and she had ice cream before so it was okay. Lastly, Norah began to earn money at home by doing household chores. She currently has 8 simple jobs to do, and she will earn $1 per task. We’ve been teaching her to put her money into 3 categories: give, spend, and save. In the past month, she has earned $11, and she’s put aside $4 into the Give category. I asked her who or what she wanted to use the Give money towards, and she said that she will be spending it for her next friend’s birthday. These are some of the recent examples of Norah’s ability to show kindness to others, and I am proud of who she has become and hope she will continue to be. Even though we don’t act kind to earn prizes, I hope that Norah can be blessed in this way, as she doesn’t own a big kid’s bike at this time. Thank you for this opportunity to share with you about Norah.”
