BMX Pink Haro bicycle stolen from inside an apartment building in Kamloops.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Trevor Oleksy

A Kamloops youth had his bicycle stolen, only to have a better bike donated to him anonymously a few days later.

Bicycle thefts are a common, ongoing problem in the city. This bike was reportedly locked up and stolen from inside an apartment complex.

READ MORE: Rewards offered for stolen bikes may be opportunity for criminals in Kamloops

“We got home on a Monday night after football practice, and my son Aiden locked his bike up in the bike room, a room used for safe storage of bicycles inside the building,” Aiden’s father Trevor Oleksy said. “The next morning my son comes in and tells me I need to drive him to school, his bike was stolen. The door and the lock were jimmied apart with tools.”

Oleksy said his son worked hard doing odd jobs and saved money to buy the BMX Pink Haro bike from NorKam Lock & Cycle for $600 in May. Oleksy is a single dad on disability.

“I wondered how I would replace the bike for my son,” Oleksy said. “He needs it to get to school and back. We posted a picture of the bike and asked for help on social media. We drove around the places where street people take the stolen bikes apart for hours but didn’t find it.”

READ MORE: Bicycle deal was too good to be true: Kamloops RCMP

Three days later the he got a surprising phone call from his landlady saying an anonymous good Samaritan had dropped off a brand new bike for his son, complete with a $50 lock that locks the whole bike together, including frame and tires.

“This is an amazing community,” Oleksy said. “I couldn’t tell you how much it meant to my son. It let us know there are good people out there. When theft happens, especially inside your own building, it leaves you feeling violated. The help from the community and the act of kindness makes that better.”

He doubts he will find the original stolen bike and that people are still looking for it, but he has not received any calls regarding its whereabouts. He said the bike room in his complex has taken the name off its door to prevent attracting any more unwanted activity.

“Even though we were given an expensive lock to use, my son still sleeps with his new bike in his bedroom,” Oleksy said. “He is a good hardworking kid and intends to pay this act of kindness forward. This couldn’t have happened to a nicer kid, to be honest.”

READ MORE: Kamloops city council adopts electric vehicle and e-bike initiative

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