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46 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, December 17, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend December 16, 2004 Robin Turgesen, left, and Lorene Graham, of the Jackson County Department of Health and Human Services, stand in the midst of some of the 100 new bicycles that were donated by an anonymous Santa to be given to underprivileged children in Jackson County. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell A ride from Santa Generous donor will make Christmas wishes come true for disadvantaged girls and boys who want a bike By BILL KETTLER Mail Tribune An anonymous Santa will make Christmas merrier for more than 100 Jackson County children. The man called the Jackson County public health office a few weeks ago to offer bicycles for kids whose parents couldn’t afford them. "He wanted to know if it would be a problem if they weren’t assembled," said Robin Turgesen, a nurse who works with underprivileged families. Turgesen said she was concerned that it would be, because many of the parents don’t have tools or the expertise to put the bikes together. So the bike-giving Santa called a bunch of his friends. They got together to mount the seats and bolt on the wheels and make the presents ready to roll on Christmas morning. They put a big red ribbon on each set of handlebars, along with a tag that reads "Merry Christmas from Santa." Advertisement Turgesen went to work collecting names of children from her clients and from other nurses. It wasn’t hard. "I just came from a (client’s) house with no heat," she said. "Three of the families I visited (Wednesday) didn’t even have a Christmas tree." Somewhere along the way, somebody realized the kids would need helmets, too. When Turgesen called the mystery man, she said, he told her, "No problem." Santa and his friends delivered the bikes Wednesday, and the helmets are on the way. They brought about 65 bikes to the health department office on East Main Street in Medford and left others for kids in Ashland, White City, west Medford, Phoenix and Talent. Wendy Languirand of Medford picked up shiny new bikes for her 8-year-old daughter, Brianna, and her 6-year-old son, Hunter. "I’m just, like, amazed," she said, gazing around a meeting room stuffed with bikes. "This is so cool. It’s awesome. "My daughter has a real old bike with tires that are flat," Languirand said. "When I asked her what she wanted for Christmas she said ‘a bike.’ This is going to make her (Christmas) morning. "Hunter wants a new bike, too," she said. "He’ll be excited. He just learned to ride without training wheels." Santa declined to identify himself or talk to a reporter, but he told Turgesen that he has done Christmas gift projects on a smaller scale for the past few years. She relayed his message as he spoke to her on the telephone. "I’ve got five kids," he told Turgesen, "and my kids have a wonderful Christmas every year. I want my kids to see other kids who aren’t as fortunate get to experience Christmas, too." The man praised his friends for helping him. "Every single one of them was willing to do whatever I wanted," he said. "They helped do it all." None of them want public recognition, he said. "In the spirit of Christmas, this is just a group of local people who might be your neighbor who got a wild idea and did it. You’ll never know if the guy you’re looking at in the grocery-store line is the one who did it." Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Citibank Student Loans Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems