Siblings Rosie and Daniel ride their new bicycles outside First Lutheran Church in Yuba City after receiving them during a free Christmas bike giveaway on Dec. 20.

YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) – What began as a small holiday outreach quickly turned into a packed block-long line as hundreds of families gathered at First Lutheran Church in Yuba City on Dec. 20 for a free Christmas bike giveaway.

“We’ve been here since 7:30 a.m. and there was already a line when we got here,” said Jennifer Garcia of Yuba City. “It's crazy because usually with things like this there's just a raffle with like five bikes - but here everyone was getting one.”

Garcia’s children, Rosie and Daniel, were already riding their new bikes on the sidewalk, a first for Rosie, meanwhile other families stood waiting, unsure if supplies would last.

Families line up outside First Lutheran Church in Yuba City while waiting for a chance to receive free bicycles during a Christmas giveaway event on Dec. 20.

“I got here around 8:30 a.m. and they gave out tickets, I'm number 85 and the last number I heard called is 33,” said Grisella Hernandez, another Yuba City mother of two. “I don’t think there's going to be enough.”

Saturday’s Christmas Bike Giveaway marked the first event of its kind organized by Derrek and Elizabeth Stokes of All-American Construction and hosted by First Lutheran Church of Yuba City, where the couple attends church. The Stokes said they were inspired by a similar event in Sacramento and, after collecting donations from local businesses, partners, friends and family, decided to bring the idea closer to home.

“Apparently there is a need for this,” said Elizabeth Stokes. “Our shop is actually in Sutter and we even had people in our parking lot this morning trying to get a bike.”

In total, 86 bikes were distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Families were required to have their children present to receive a bike. Organizers originally planned for the giveaway to run from 10 a.m. to noon, but supplies were exhausted within the first 30 minutes, leaving many families waiting in the rain with disappointed children.

“If we had a thousand bikes, I don't think it would have been enough,” said Derrek Stokes.

“Unfortunately, there's a lot of people that are mad at us but we did the best we could and generated as many (bikes) as we could.”

First Lutheran Pastor Nathan Linehan said he was also surprised by the turnout, having expected approximately 30 to 40 families. Upon arrival, organizers said they struggled to find space to park their trucks due to the crowd.

The Stokes family, organizers, and volunteers pose with Santa Claus following the conclusion of a free Christmas bike giveaway event on Dec. 20 hosted by All-American Construction and First Lutheran Church in Yuba City.

“We were just wanting to get bikes out to the community and make sure that they were able to bless some families during this holiday season,” said Linehan. “My heart hurts right now because I'm just watching all these families leave and the kids are upset.”

As volunteers shared the difficult news with families, Linehan encouraged attendees to take free photos with Santa and invited them to participate in other church programs, including a free Christmas dinner.

Though inventory was limited, the Stokes family said the overwhelming response only strengthened their commitment to the cause.

“Now we know what to do for next year,” said Elizabeth Stokes. “We can build off this and hopefully get more bikes and make it better next year.”