Sun Youth Looking to Reward Exceptional Children With New Bikes

Echoes of Sun Youth

Do you know of youngsters who stood out by their good deeds or who have shown extraordinary courage when facing exceptional circumstances? Sun Youth could reward them with a brand-new bicycle, safety helmet and bike lock. May 2022 will see the 39th Annual Sun Youth Bike Distribution where 100 deserving youngsters will be rewarded. Since 1984, this initiative has been made possible thanks to the financial support of businessman and great philanthropist Avrum (Avi) Morrow, who sadly passed away in 2019. For years he had been supporting this program anonymously under the pseudonym Mr. Bike Man.

Avrum (Avi) Morrow
Photo from the Baron Byng Museum

Sadly, the Bike Man is no more but before his passing, Avi Morrow made arrangements so that the Annual Bike Giveaway would continue for years to come. Sun Youth wishes to salute his family’s commitment to continue supporting the distribution in his memory. This event will be an opportunity to remember this great man and celebrate his life but most importantly, to highlight the outstanding contribution of those exectional selected youngsters. To this effect, Sun Youth is making an appeal to the population to submit the names of deserving youngsters through this web page: https://imakeanonlinedonation.org/jeunesseausoleil-sunyouth/BIKES/. This program is for children between the ages of 5 and 17 from the Greater Montreal area. We urge you to apply before the March 15th deadline and no application will be considered after that date. Throughout the years over 2,000 new bikes were distributed thanks to Mr. Morrow’s exceptional generosity.

When Avi Morrow passed away, Sun Youth Cofounder Sid Stevens fondly remembered the man who, over 70 years ago, founded Avmor, the manufacturer of industrial cleaning and maintenance products, also responsible for many of the electric hand-dryers found in public washrooms. “We first met him when he turned 60 years old. He invited us to his office. He wanted to celebrate his birthday in a different manner; he was tired of getting Rembrandts!” remembered Sid Stevens. Although Avi Morrow made his fortune with Avmor, he came from a very modest upbringing. As a kid, his parents didn’t have the financial means to buy him a bicycle but after much begging they gave in and bought him his first bicycle, a real pride and joy for him. Avi Morrow would never forget that first bicycle and the happiness it brought him and wanted underprivileged children such as he had been to experience the same joy.

In that spirit he contacted Sun Youth and our Annual Bike Giveaway was thus born. Every year since 1984, the Bike Man has allowed Sun Youth to reward deserving children with a brand-new bicycle, lock and safety helmet but he never sought recognition. “He was so proud when he saw news footage of the children being honoured and their picture in the paper”, said Sid Stevens. “It was never about him. The important thing was that the youth would get the publicity. For him it was all about giving, not necessarily about getting accolades.