The countdown is on at the Cycle of Giving, a 24-hour bike building marathon in Winnipeg.
The event is put on by the Winnipeg Repair Education and Cycling Hub, known as The WRENCH.
The group collects broken bikes and parts from the dump during the year. On Saturday 150 volunteers came together to rebuild and repair bikes to give them a new life and a new home.
The bikes will be given to kids living in Winnipeg and on remote Manitoba First Nations.
Now in its seventh year, the marathon has become a community tradition.
"Every year my heart just grows two sizes because when we're worried that were going to be set up or have enough bikes people come through every time," said Managing Director Patrick Krawec.
SEE MORE: In Pictures: 24-hour kids bike building marathon
11-year-old Saad Aziz knows the joy of having his own bike and volunteered his time help give the gift of travel to another child.
"I think it’s cool,” he said.
By the end of the marathon volunteers will have diverted 330 bikes away from landfills.
When the work is done, each bicycle must pass a 15 point inspection safety list. Children also volunteering their time, test bikes to help make sure they have a smooth ride.
Every child that receives a new set of wheels also gets a card with a personal message.
Over the past seven years about 2,500 bikes have been rebuilt. The WRENCH estimates the total worth of all the bikes combined to be $100,000.
The marathon runs from noon Saturday until noon on Sunday.
