MPD Officers Jordan Werk, Brandon Heide and Scott Kostohryz present a bicycle to a young Moorhead boy, courtesy of the Police Athletic and Activities League.

Nancy Edmonds Hanson

More than 120 young Moorheaders are pedaling their own bicycles these days, thanks to Moorhead’s Police Athletics and Activities League and volunteers from Moorhead Scheels.
The downtown sports store has partnered with the local charity for most of the five years PAL has been rolling. While the nonprofit may be better known for its Cops and Kids hockey and baseball matches and its Christmas gift program, donating bicycles has been a big part of its work with local youth since its beginning.
And since the used bicycles donated by the organization – based in, but separate from, the Moorhead Police Department – are themselves contributed to the cause, insuring they’re in rideable condition is a critical part of the mission.
That’s where the experts of Scheels’ repair shop have stepped in. Since they helped ready the first three bicycles that were presented to children in 2019, members of the local staff have stepped up to return the most challenged two-wheelers to road- and trail-worthy condition.
“The guys from Scheels have been absolutely essential,” says Lt. Scott Kostohryz, who in his free time heads the 501(c)3 organization. “There’s no way we could do this without them. One week in June alone, they helped us put 30 bikes out into our community.”
Lead service shop technician Chris Howard has been involved in the program since the beginning. “The officers who volunteer with PAL take care of the basic stuff. Once in a while, all they need is air in the tires, and they’re good to go.
“PAL pulls aside any that need a little more love, and we jump in.” That can mean fixing issues with brakes and shifting, wheels that need straightening, and models that need more extensive rehabbing. “Are they worth fixing? If they’re beyond the scope of repair, is there money in the budget? Otherwise, they become parts for other bikes.”
Chris and several other department managers have handled most of the repairs in the past, but this year the helping hands increased exponentially. Six of the store’s seven bike repair technicians each spent an estimated seven or eight hours at the police garage on 15th Avenue North, getting PAL’s inventory of donated bikes ready to go.
Along with the techs’ expertise – all volunteered to PAL’s cause – Scheels donates cash to help the cause. In the past, the store’s $1,500 cash donation has gone for essential accessories like helmets and bike locks. Most of the store’s June donation this year is earmarked for bicycle parts. Several Moorhead employees have also contributed their Pay It Forward dollars to the program.
The PAL bike program has taken off since its modest beginning in 2019, assisted by Safe Kids Sanford and the FM Boys and Girls Clubs. Some nominations come from other agencies, including Clay County Social Services, the department’s School Resource Officers and the county probation department. According to Kostohryz, about 80 are now on the waiting list
In 2020, five bikes were prepped and presented. That grew to 30 in 2021 and 63 last year. In total, PAL has cooperated with local law enforcement agencies to distribute about 120 across the county … most in Moorhead, but also in Dilworth, Hawley and Barnesville.
The bicycles are gathered from a variety of sources. Some are donated directly. Others are picked up during Clean-Up Days, the semiannual MPD vehicle auctions, and the department’s inventory of stolen bikes that have been recovered but never claimed.
PAL welcomes nominations of potential recipients from the ages of 3 to 18. “Some of them will use the bikes to get to and from school. Others may be able to get and keep a job when they get transportation,” Kostohryz suggests. “And maybe we’ll have a trike for their little sister or brother.”
Donations of bicycles in any condition are always welcome, he stresses. So is cash to pay for those necessary parts. “If anybody knows a family in need, you can get in touch with me,” he adds. His email: scott.kostohryz@moorheadpolice.com.