Hundreds of volunteers assemble 2,400 bicycles for Bay Area charities

SAN JOSE, Calif. - One thousand volunteers are expected to roll up their sleeves Saturday morning in San Jose and build 2,400 bicycles that will be holiday gifts for low-income children.

The 15th annual Big Bike Build starts at 9 a.m. at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center and benefits more than three-dozen area charities, including schools, according to a release from Santa Clara County.

The all-day event draws volunteer teams from law enforcement, fire departments, the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, corporations and schools.

Hosted by Turning Wheels for Kids, the event will be held in the south hall of the convention center, 435 South Market St. in San Jose.

Turning Wheels has distributed 43,000 bikes to children over the past 15 years and has raised $4.5 million, officials said.

The bike building begins at 9 a.m. Saturday and San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo will speak at 10:30 a.m. to thank volunteers. At 11 a.m. there will be an adult-trike race, followed by lunch at noon. Bike building will resume at 1 p.m. 

Charity pickups of the bikes will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the back of south hall.

More information on the bike build is available here.