Bike mangled by storm sets wheels in motion

A note from Devin and Kari Brackett is attached to the bike they donated to Mainstreet Church in Walbridge for storm victims.

The Blade/Dave Zapotosky
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A note from Devin and Kari Brackett is attached to the bike they donated to Mainstreet Church in Walbridge for storm victims.

When Kari Brackett of Lake Township saw on the news that a little girl's bike was stuck in the side of tornado-damaged home, she said she had "no excuse" not to donate an extra bike she had at her home.

"All it needed was a couple of repairs," Ms. Brackett, 24, said.

After she saw the tornado damage, she asked her brother to help fix the bike and dropped it off at Mainstreet Church that same morning. She hopes any girl who lost her bike in the tornado can use the one she donated.

"I'm sure it was more than one little girl that lost their bike," Ms. Brackett said. "Having kids in my home, I know that they would be lost without their bikes."

Carolyn Schermbeck, director of communications for Mainstreet Church, said she was touched by Ms. Brackett's gesture.

"It was just such an incredible example of the heart of our community that someone literally saw a little girl's bike on TV and it just touched them so much," she said.

One other bike was donated to the church, but she does not know who donated it.

The Bracketts donated a bicycle after seeing this one lodged in the siding of a tornado-damaged home in MIllbury, Ohio. Kari Brackett hopes any girl who lost her bike in the storm can use it.

Ms. Schermbeck said families affected by the tornado have been overwhelmed by the community's response to the damage so far.

"A number of volunteers have come back and just said that homeowners that they have helped, how they've come up to them and so many have teared up or just broke down," she said. "They just can't believe the help they have received."

Ms. Schermbeck said the church has put a hold on donations until she gets a clearer picture of where the cleanup effort stands.

"They have received a tremendous outpouring of help. It was far greater and far quicker than they thought," she said. "I want to make sure we're not wasting people's time or resources."

Contact Sarah Mervosh at:

smervosh@theblade.com

or 419-724-6050.