Sheriff's office donates 37 bikes for holidays

PORT CLINTON — The sheriff's office never tires of spreading holiday cheer with its Bill's Bikes program.Bill Marshall — the former jail administrator and a current Ottawa County Drug Task Force agent — started the program in 2017 to donate bicycles to area children during the holiday."Ottawa County is a unique community in that people still care about their neighbors. Bill's Bikes is just one way that shows it," Ottawa County Sheriff Steve Levorchick said. "This program touches the hearts of so many people,"In the third year of Bill's Bikes, the sheriff's office raised about $2,900, enough to purchase 37 bicycles and helmets for kids. The donations came from deputies and other county employees with $1,000 coming from the sheriff's office No-Shave Winter fundraiser."The first year we had about 17 bikes," Marshall said. "I never imagine it'd get this big or have so much support."Marshall said the program wouldn't have been successful if it wasn't for all the donations from county employees and Deputy Heather Moss, who helped collect donations.The sheriff's office, however, isn't the only one spreading holiday cheer. Several people from the jail's work program, sober living homes and graduates of the Ottawa County Drug Court put together the bikes Monday at the sheriff's office."This allows them to give back to a community that's supported them as they've gone through an important transition in their lives," Levorchick said.The importance of giving back wasn't lost on Seth O'Neal who returned to the sheriff's office not as an inmate but as a volunteer."It helps to be able to give back," O'Neal said. "It's nice to move away from only thinking of myself, and to try to help others."Once the bikes are assembled, the sheriff's office will give them to the Ottawa County Salvation Army. The Salvation Army will distribute the bikes to families at its annual toy distribution event.Reach reporter Michael Harrington at michaelharrington@sanduskyregister.com, follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterSeth O'Neal and Ottawa County Sheriff Steve Levorchick assemble a bicycle at the sheriff's office on Monday, Dec. 16, 2019. The bicycle is one of the 37 that the sheriff's office is donating for Bill's Bikes this year.Seth O'Neal and Ottawa County Sheriff Steve Levorchick share a laugh while assembling a bicycle for Bill's Bikes at the sheriff's office on Monday, Dec. 16, 2019.Seth O'Neal starts work on putting together a bicycle at the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office on Monday, Dec. 16, 2019, for Bill's Bikes.Tyler Cooley helped assemble bicycles at the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office on Monday, Dec. 16, for Bill's Bikes. The sheriff's office will donate the bikes to area children.Jeff Schill carries a completed bicycle on Saturday, Dec. 16, at the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office. The bicycle will be donated to an area kid as part of Bill's Bikes.