ANNAPOLIS, Md. —
When Kiwone Moore noticed a broken bike on the side of the road in his Annapolis neighborhood, he felt compelled to fix it.
Moore was motivated by a thought that popped into his mind: “Maybe if I start fixing bikes, [children] will start riding bikes,” he wondered.
Months later, he hunched proved to be correct.
Now if you walk through Moore’s Robinwood community, it’s hard to find a kid without a bike. The scene reminds him of his own childhood.
“It makes me feel soft and fluffy on the inside,” Moore, who grew up in Baltimore, said.
Moore estimates that he has repaired dozens of bikes since he began the effort. It’s earned him the nickname “Mr. Fix-a-Flat" among his neighbors.
“Honestly, from where I comes from, there’s not a lot of love in that city,” Moore said. “So coming out here and getting love from what I do it’s a great feeling.”
Moore knows the perception of his Robinwood community can sometimes be grim. Over the years, the neighborhood has dealt with several deadly shootings. With each bike, he’s helping to change that reputation.
“Just to see [children] hop and run on the bike, yeah, that’s a good feeling,” Moore said.
Moore works as a supervisor at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore. He takes the bus from Annapolis each day, resulting in an hours-long commute. Still, he fixes the bikes on anyone who asks for free.
Moore plans to continue his efforts until every kid in his neighborhood has a working bike.
“Then we can have a whole marathon on the streets on Robinwood,” he said with a smile.
This story is part of WUSA9’s “The Heart of It” series. If you have a story idea for Sean Martinelli, you can email him at TheHeartOfIt@wusa9.com