East Bay man's bicycle hobby turns into vehicle to help struggling teens excel
A Bay Area man who overcame tremendous obstacles to excel in school has made it his mission to gear up other students for success in the classroom and in life.
Retired software engineer Joseph Hui always loved bikes. He recalled an advertisement he saw in the Danville Patch some 20 years ago that caught his attention.
"They were advertising about a charity bike program out of St. Timothy's where they fix bikes to give out to people in need throughout the area," said Hui.
He started fixing bikes right out of his garage to be given away. He had so much fun with it, he recruited his friends.
A few dozen bikes a year grew to hundreds. Since he started, Hui has repaired and given away over 5,000 bikes. But this is about more than sharing his passion.
"It's very therapeutic to me because when I talk to the kids, especially the ones who are going through foster care, I really talk with them. 'I know what you are going through and this is how you break out of this cycle of poverty.'"
Like many of the kids who receive his bikes, Hui grew up in foster care.
"It makes you very self-reliant. It makes you not depend on anybody," he said. "Because people are always coming in and out of your life."
The one thing he could depend on was his bike. A feeling that Dushant Puri knows all too well.
Puri is a sophomore at UC Berkeley and the first in his family to go to college. He has fond memories of riding his bike with his grandfather while his parents were working hard to build a life in the United States.
As an atmospheric science major, he's no stranger to hard work and during a particularly grueling summer school session, he knew he needed a break. He found the bike giveaway program through the Students Rising Above program.
"I was taking a summer school class and I was sitting down a lot and with that bike, I got more exercise and I got to ride with my grandpa so that was really nice," said Puri.
He later realized Hui gave him something much more valuable than a bike.
"We need more leaders like Joe giving back to the community," said Puri. "Because we are really the foundation for what's next in the future."
As Hui starts to gear up for the holidays he's preparing for long hours in the garage. Retirement looks a little different on him. But he wouldn't have it any other way.