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USO Volunteers Build Bikes For Children Of Navy Sailors, Marines

MANHATTAN, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Volunteers with the United Service Organizations spent part of their Memorial Day weekend building bicycles for the children of Navy sailors and Marines.

The event, called Operation That's My Ride, was held at Pier 92 as part of 2014 Fleet Week New York, WCBS 880's Jim Smith reported.

USO Volunteers Build Bikes For Children Of Navy Sailors, Marines

"One of the concepts of this is to remember that not only the service member makes a sacrifice, but also their spouse and their children," said USO Vice President Ray Kennedy.

Kennedy said volunteers and corporate partners spent the day building children's bicycles, which will be shipped out with mom and dad sailors and Marines leaving Fleet Week, putting smiles on some 300 kids' faces when they're reunited at their home port.

"Their family will be waiting there and they can give their child a bicycle," Kennedy said.

USO Fleet Week Bicycles
Volunteers build bicycles for the children of Navy sailors and Marines visiting New York for Fleet Week (Credit: Jim Smith/WCBS 880)

For volunteer George Layana, a Navy veteran and now reservist, giving back to the children is special, Smith reported.

"As long as you're doing something good for others, that is when you know that you've been doing the right thing," he said.

The USO has donated more than 20,000 bikes to military families since its start.

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