Caroling with Castor and onbikes Prepare to Deliver 150 New Bikes and Helmets to Children News General, News Mayor Office Tampa children will get a lifetime thrill when Mayor[...]

Tampa children will get a lifetime thrill when Mayor Jane Castor and community leaders deliver brand new bicycles.

This event, the seventh annual Caroling with Castor, in partnership with onbikes, powered by Microlumen, and supported by Tampa General Hospital and TECO, will deliver 150 bicycles and helmets to local and deserving children. The recipients are pre-selected from Parks and Recreation programming.

Many of the children have not owned or barely ridden a bike. Starter bike lessons also are in the plans, as well as proper helmet fittings.

The fun, which always offers terrific and heartwarming visuals, begins Friday afternoon, with the Martin Luther King Jr. Center scheduled as the first of two stops.

Riding on a Gasparilla float, Mayor Castor, members of the local non-profit, onbikes, Tampa Police officers, and other community leaders will present the special delivery to excited children. After selecting their helmet, Mayor Castor calls each child, one-by-one, to receive their new bicycle. Organizers ensure each bicycle is appropriately sized for the child's age.

Friday, December 19, 2025

2:00 P.M. - Staging begins just south of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, which is located at 2200 N Oregon Ave.

3:00 P.M. - Bike delivery at MLK Jr. Center

4:00 P.M. - Travel to Wellswood Activity Center, 5120 N Mendenhall Drive

4:15 P.M. - Bike delivery at Wellswood

5:00 P.M. - Conclusion

The local non-profit, onbikes, was formed in 2011, and has since gifted thousands of bicycles to at-risk children in the Tampa community.