one by one®: Dom Fixes Bikes
When Karen Pecora’s son Dom was 10 years old, he went to his mother with a request: He wanted a new bike. Pecora knew that her son was passionate about riding bikes, and his constant riding caused his bikes to fall apart quickly. So, when he requested a sturdier one, she wasn’t surprised. There was just one problem—the mountain bike he wanted cost thousands of dollars.
“It was a large financial ask,” Pecora explained. “In order to understand and appreciate a purchase that large at a young age, he needed to learn how to work for the money.”
Pecora and her son had a lengthy discussion about how he might earn the money needed to make his purchase and how he could use the skills he had to make it happen. Dom’s passion for bikes included knowing how to fix them, so together they took to social media to advertise his bike repair services to parents and kids in their neighborhood. 
Once the pandemic hit, their local bike shops closed, making Dom the go-to bike mechanic for their community. He was able to reach his financial goal within just a few months and was left with a decision about what to do with the additional cash he had earned.
“At Christmas, he came to me with thousands of dollars and said he wanted to buy bikes for other kids,” Pecora said.
Now, only a few years later, Dom Fixes Bikes has flourished into a fully functioning, 501(c)(3) organization with a board of directors and an official bike garage where members of the community can bring their bikes for repair.
How a promotional event tent helps capture the community’s attention
Dom’s commitment to the community doesn’t stop there. He also launched a campaign called #100bikesayear to collect broken bikes from the community, refurbish them until they are like new and donate them to people in need.
“Last week he delivered his 50th bike, so we’re halfway to goal,” Pecora said.
Now, at age 14, Dom has waded into local politics by going before local boards to petition building a bike park in their community. He also leads what they call a “Helmet Tour,” visiting local schools in the area to teach younger students about bicycle safety, how to properly wear a helmet, how to ensure their helmets fit securely, and other topics.
Dom’s presence at many local events is enhanced by a promotional event tent. It draws attention and helps get the word out about his #100bikesayear goal and the services provided by Dom Fixes Bikes.
“He is so in tune with his goal of giving away bikes that he didn’t want to spend any money on himself or the business to get a custom tent,” Pecora explained. “He was borrowing his grandma’s tent for a while.”
With his brand growing in notoriety, Pecora and Dom hope he’ll be able to continue to help those in need, including people recovering from addiction or unhoused people who lost their belongings in a flood, by providing bikes.
“He does so much for our community,” Pecora gushed.
A note from Cheryl
It is inspiring to see Dom Fixes Bikes sharing its founder’s joy of riding by providing bicycles for people in need. 4imprint is pleased to play a small role in its mission by providing a promotional event tent. To learn more about a 4imprint one by one grant, visit onebyone.4imprint.com.