MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – For a little while on Saturday Middletown became a toyland.
In was a near-miracle when considering that less than a month ago Middletown had experienced a fire that left many people homeless amid ruins.
But two giveaways focusing on children at separate locations had everyone forgetting – if only for a moment – the calamitous condition the Valley fire left in its wake.
One featured free bicycles – 300 of them – donated by various businesses and individuals around the region.
The other featured all sorts of toys – about $5,000 worth, it was estimated – and was staged by three women with the help of many residents in Humboldt County.
The most interesting twist in the bicycle giveaway is that Candy Alcott, a preschool teacher, all but single-handedly put the fundraiser together.
Saturday at Minnie Cannon Elementary School in Middletown was the highpoint to date with 300 bicycles given away. It was one of the most comprehensive giveaways, with even a section for teacher bikes.
“They’ve got to get to school,” Alcott reasoned.
“I saw the fire when I was sitting on my couch. That was the first phase,” said Alcott. “In less than a month we have brought in seven truckloads of goods and started with 18 bikes, donated by Del Valle High School in Livermore.”
Alcott, who contributed a highly visible emotion to the project, added, “I’ve never done anything like this before.”
Alcott became a legend of sorts when she walked into Walmart Clearlake and announced that she intended to buy every bike in the floor display.
“But I called ahead,” she said. “I called them on the phone first and a very kind gentleman named Allen Chitwood gave me $5,000. I bought every bike at Walmart except one. It was a beach cruiser and I didn’t think anyone would want a beach cruiser.”
Alcott is by no means finished with her bike giveaway. There are, she pointed out, more grammar schools and a high school in Middletown.
“We can’t stop now,” she said. “In this community we’re first responders and there are going to be a lot of responders. They’re going to take care of it for a long time.”
One of the more interesting exchanges of bicycles as gifts was David Watkins’ gift of the bike of his choice to his son Dylan as a birthday gift. Dylan, who turned 10, returned the favor by giving his father a bike.
“One little girl said, ‘I don’t want a bike; I want my scooter back,’ and a boy said, 'I don’t want a bike, I want my football back,'” Alcott recounted.
But there also were children who were anxious to get a bike.
“I put it on the Internet that I wanted a line of 25 rideable bikes,” said Alcott. “Then people from all over began bring in their bikes. We had bikes from Eureka to San Jose to Sacramento.
“I believe there are 800 children who lost their homes. And I promised I would bring them back a bike,” Alcott said tearfully. “I have a list of 22 kids right here and I’m not going to stop until there isn’t a list anymore.”
The women who operated the “Christmas in October” toy giveaway later Saturday afternoon at Hardester’s Middletown market were Pauline Brown of Lake County, and Shannan O’Neal and Desirae Hadley from Humboldt County, assisted by a group of Lake County teens.
“All the kids here belong to Hidden Valley Community Church Youth group,” said Brown of the teen assistants.
The group Pay It Forward Humboldt spearheaded the effort to collect the toys and books for the children impacted by the Valley fire.
It was a bright sunnyshine day, the first seen in Middletown for a long, long time.
Email John Lindblom at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .