A long line of cars could be seen parked along Bowman Road early Saturday morning in anticipation of getting a free bicycle.

“It was a cold morning but that wasn’t stopping families from coming out to the Paulsen Ranch for the Bikes For Kids sixth annual Christmas Giveaway,” said organizer Pete Paulsen.

The limit was one bike per family. “For some of these kids, this was their very first bike,” Paulsen said.

He and his group of volunteers distributed over 200 of the donated and refurbished bikes on this day.

“We were able to reach multiple bikes,” Paulsen said. “Those that unfortunately missed out had their information taken so that we could provide them with bikes later.”

Those who attended the special drive-thru event were greeted by Santa Claus and were offered hot chocolate and cookies while they browsed around for a bike.

The Grinch even made an appearance, Paulsen noted.

 He added: “Now is the time to prepare for next year’s giveaway – if you missed the chance to get your kid a bike, feel free to give us a call.”

Calls to Bikes For Kids can be made from Tuesday through Friday between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

 For more information, call 209.983.0271 or log on to www.petepaulsen.com.