Bay County's 'Salvage Santa' preparing free bicycles for needy children again this year

Ebonee Burrell, The News Herald
·3 min read
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PANAMA CITY — What started as a hobby to repair bikes and toys has turned into Bay County’s own “Salvage Santa,” a local man who provides gifts to children in need during the holidays.

For more than 40 years, Mike Jones, aka “Salvage Santa,” has spent each year fixing broken bicycles to make them as good as new just in time to donate to kids for Christmas. Jones started the decades-long project when local stores would get rid of their damaged toys and bikes and he took it upon himself to repair them to give away.

“Most of the bikes donated are brand-new with minor damage to them, so all I would have to do is buy the part needed and fix it myself and it’s as good as new,” Jones said.

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Mike Jones, aka Salvage Santa, takes old bicycles and makes them new again in his workshop on the northeast side of Panama City. Jones donates about 250 bicycles each year to area charities who distribute them to children for Christmas. Jones polishes up the chrome on a bicycle he had just repaired.
Mike Jones, aka Salvage Santa, takes old bicycles and makes them new again in his workshop on the northeast side of Panama City. Jones donates about 250 bicycles each year to area charities who distribute them to children for Christmas. Jones polishes up the chrome on a bicycle he had just repaired.

Jones works out of his bike shop seven days a week and this year he plans to donate about 250 bikes. Throughout the 40-plus years, he has worked with many distributors in Bay County, including Early Education and Care, Subsidized Daycare and Knights of Pythias. He already has donated the first 50 bikes this year to Early Education and Care, an early intervention and Headstart program for kids, and plans to donate 70 more bikes soon.

It took three years of rebuilding his foundation after Hurricane Michael destroyed much of Bay County for Jones to get back to where he is today. But, he said he wouldn’t let the devastation stop him from doing what he loved.

“Nothing will stop me from doing this because I love Bay County and we have a great community,” Jones said. “We don’t want to ever forget why we celebrate Christmas, but it’s nice for families to come together, exchange gifts and appreciate all that Jesus Christ has done for us.”

Mike Jones, aka Salvage Santa, takes old bicycles and makes them new again in his workshop on the northeast side of Panama City. Jones donates about 250 bicycles each year to area charities who distribute them to children for Christmas. His workshop has bicycle parts filling every available space.
Mike Jones, aka Salvage Santa, takes old bicycles and makes them new again in his workshop on the northeast side of Panama City. Jones donates about 250 bicycles each year to area charities who distribute them to children for Christmas. His workshop has bicycle parts filling every available space.

Quillar Ceasar-Herbert, a close friend of Jones, has helped with the project for more than 30 years to serve the community. They connected to service areas outside of the Glenwood community, such as St. John Missionary Baptist Church and Foxwood and Magnolia apartment complexes.

“Mike has been a true blessing for this community. It’s a hobby for him just to repair bikes and it’s so overwhelming for him to see someone riding one of the bikes he donated,” Ceasar-Herbert said.

Jones has been featured in several publications, including Emerald Magazine, and on such TV shows as “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and Mike Rowe’s “Returning the Favor.” Jones said once he retires from law enforcement in February, this will become a full-time hobby for him.

“All I want to do is fix up old junk and recycle them so I can make them new and that’s why I’m called Salvage Santa,” Jones said.

Jones said bikes will be distributed until Christmas Eve and he will start again for next year on Dec. 26. He encourages people to donate bikes that no longer are needed or are in need of repair. To donate, drop the bikes off at 2715 Hillsboro Ave. They can be left in the Salvage Santa Bike Corral from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Bay County's 'Salvage Santa' giving free bicycles to kids