VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WVEC) - A Virginia Beach man with down syndrome lost something very special to him, but the community rallied behind him and raised money to put a smile on his face.
Last month, someone stole Travis Thereault’s bike at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
“Not only did they steal the bike, they also cut the lock off at the same time,” Thereault said.
When it happened, Thereault's mom, Martha, took to Facebook in hopes someone would return the bike.
No one found it, but the community stepped in to help.
A Virginia Beach Firefighter started a GoFundMe page, which raised about $1,900. Firefighters and community members raised the money.
Beach Pedaler Bikes in Virginia Beach ordered a new bike for him. Most of the funds raised went towards a new trike with a horn and a special lock to make sure the bike doesn’t get stolen again. The remaining $800 went to the Virginia Beach Special Olympics, where Travis plays basketball.
Master Firefighter Carson Forrester said, “It’s really neat. Just seeing everybody gathered here together and how excited he was when we gave the bike to him is really neat.”
Thereault said he is really excited to ride the bike all summer long. He said he couldn’t get a bike without help from the community.
“Thank you, ten times, for everybody who has chipped in and donated. It’s really touching,” Thereault said.