Christmas comes early every year for Jeff Jones and his Technology Education students at Apollo Ridge High School. For the past ten years he and his students have been putting the surprise back into Christmas for hundreds of children who never thought they would get a bike. They have been refurbishing bicycles as a student Community Service Project. The first year they gave away 25 bicycles and two years ago it was 175 bicycles!

Sharon Jaworskyj, Apollo-Ridge School Board member, came up with the idea of having a community service project that donated bicycles to children for Christmas. The Board and Administration fully supported the new program and ten years later it has proven to be a big winner. Jeff’s enthusiasm is stronger today than ever. “It’s heart warming helping kids this way,” Jim said.

Although the satisfaction of giving kids bikes for Christmas is great, Jim has a greater satisfaction in his students and how they have responded to the project. Given the ten-year history, meaning ten different classes of students, Jim said, “I admire my students and take a lot of pride in them.” Jeff said he teaches his students that you should give back. :”They are really responsible,” he says. The fruit of their community service project is the cards and letters thanking them that come in every year. “Giving the bikes to little kids and teenagers who may not expect anything else is very heart warming,” Jim noted.

And, while you are reading this, Jeff is out looking for bikes as he does every year. The Bicycle Project receives donated bikes and refurbishes the ones needing repair. People from all over the area and even some distance away bring the bikes to Apollo-Ridge High School for the students to work. Some bring bikes in excellent condition and others are well worn.

The bicycles are donated through agencies, organizations, and churches. Chris Clarke, Principal, Barn Homa and Regina Schrecengost handle contacting the different groups for the donations. They also use publicity in the news media and have information posted on the school web site. The Bicycle Community Project runs every October through December.

Jeff is just the right person for this project. Born and raised in Saltsburg, he has five children ranging in ages from 25 to 4. Living in Freeport now, he lets no grass grow under his feet. Jeff has had his own construction business for 30 years. He builds homes and additions and other construction work. “No job is too small,” he says. His day starts at school at 6:45 a.m. and teaches to 3 p.m. Then he goes to his other work until late evening.

Jeff not only teaches and works hard, he serves as lector and on fundraising committee at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Freeport. He also serves as a member of the Armstrong County Farmland Preservation Board. Jeff’s background included getting his degree in education at California University of Pennsylvania and working in coal mines for 10 years in drafting and engineering. After a local mine shut done he went into teaching.

Apollo-Ridge students couldn’t do better with a teacher like Jeff Jones. His character, work ethic and experience all work towards teaching his students that the right values to succeed in today’s world.