Justin Surrency and his friends remember how important it was to have a bike as kids. “Having a bike as a kid was a big deal,” Surrency said. “It gave us a sense of independence.”
Surrency is the owner of FastKicks Academy in Seffner, and for the last 15 years, he and his friends have strung Christmas lights around their bikes and then rode them all around downtown Plant City and beyond, stopping at local bars and restaurants along the way. “It was just something we did during the holidays for fun,” Surrency said. “As we got older, we realized that we should make the ride meaningful and make it something for the community, so we decided to raise some money and buy bikes for kids in need in our community. The first year, we bought 10 bikes and donated them to local elementary schools.” Bikes & Brews was born.
Bikes & Brews is not a local nonprofit; it’s more of a grassroots effort among friends who want to have fun and bring some joy to local kids during the holiday season. “It’s just a big group of our friends that have been doing it for years now,” said Travis Pack, or “Captain Pack” as he’s known by the locals of Plant City. “Justin does most of the hard work, and we just help where we can.”…