Payless Spreads the Love with Bicycles

by The ShoesTV Team February 14th, 2012 at 11:57 AM

There's no better way to spend Valentine's Day than by spreading love to others. We give big-time kudos today to Payless for their part in spreading the love at Irving Elementary School in Joplin, MO, where students were gifted bikes.

A volunteer from The Bike Stop puts finishing touches on 207 bikes

With two stores in the area, Payless has been part of the Joplin community for 19 years. "Payless wants to give back in a creative way that helps the children heal, and builds a deeper connection for its associates to the Joplin community," the company said in a press release.

Irving Elementary students receiving their bikes

Payless associates teamed up with volunteers from The Bike Shop to personally build a bike for every student at Irving Elementary. In addition to the bike, each student received a helmet and bike lock.

Whitney Benfield and her daughter Ellie pose with Ellie's new bike

Following the tornado that ravaged the community last year, Payless delivered 6,000 pairs of shoes to those in need. The company rebuilt its Range Line Road store, which was destroyed, and reopened it on January 27th.