Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 44 gifts bikes to Silver Valley kids
Mike Hauser, Melba Gust, and Joe Hauser stand for a photo with the five bikes donated to the Kellogg Santa's Workshop from UA Local 44 Plumbers & Steamfitters Union out of Spokane.
Courtesy of Melba Gust
Two Silver Valley Christmas volunteer groups recently received a gift of their own this holiday season, which in-turn, helps them give local youth a brighter holiday season.
Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 44 Union representatives delivered five kids bikes each to Santa's Workshop in Kellogg and the Wallace Christmas Fund on Dec. 17 to be given out to local children.
Local 44 Union representative Joe Hauser explains that for the last 10 years, the union has used part of their dues to purchase bikes around the holiday season to be given out in the communities they serve.
Based out of Spokane, Washington, the union has historically received roughly 40 kids bikes from their Pasco location and assembled them. Once done, they have been donated to the Spokane arm of Toys for Tots.
This year though, Joe had the idea to spread the wealth around a bit, as the union covers parts of northeastern Washington and North Idaho- not just Spokane.
Joe told this to his brother, Mike Hauser, who is friends with Silver Valley resident, Jim Miller. Miller saw the Dec. 8 News-Press article on the Silver Valley's local holiday groups and recommended to Mike that some of the union's bikes should go to these groups.
After getting in contact with Melba Gust at Santa's Workshop in Kellogg and Jae Jean Achord with the Wallace Christmas fund, it was decided that the 10 bikes the union had to donate would be split between the two groups.
Following the drop-off last week, both groups expressed their appreciation for the generous donation from the Local 44.
"With our funds, we don't normally buy kids bikes," Wallace Christmas Fund volunteer Amy Lynn said. "We always have some who want them, so this enables us to get them a bike!"
"We are so appreciative of the Plumber’s and Steamfitters Local 44," Gust added. "The kids are going to be thrilled!"
The Local 44 has roughly 550 members, including retired members, across the Inland Northwest. The bikes they get every year are just a small amount of the thousands that are ordered into the Pasco, Washington location.