Andraea Says: "The G&E Hill Foundation has helped me in a lot of ways. After all the things that we’ve been through after (Hurricane) Katrina, this scholarship really helped our financial situation, as far as paying off tuition, buying equipment for school, software and books. It made things much easier. I was able to get a laptop. With this type of program, you need, like, a lot of equipment and software, and the scholarship helped pay for these things. That really helped to lift my spirits.” (for more from Andraea go to Feedback)   In order to seed a special relief aid to victims of last year’s Hurricane Ike, the Foundation suspended its 2008 Bicycle Giveaway. Our outreach efforts were facilitated by partnerships with compassionate church leaders -- Pastor Rick Erwin in Beaumont, Texas, Pastor Emmett Burns, Baltimore, Maryland, Pastor Diana Lanier in Crosby, Texas, and community leaders.   We will continue working feverishly in 2010 to provide as much relief assistance as we possibly can to the survivors of the recent horrific earthquake disaster in Haiti.   We have set a lofty goal for 2010 of 10,000+ bicycles to impoverished children. With your continued support we will reach our goals -- bicycles and scholarships to the many children in need.      Bicycle Giveaway 2007   Once again, bicycles donated by G&E Hill Foundation to children in need in the Greater Baltimore Area, put big smiles on hundreds of young faces. On Saturday, December 15, 2007, the Foundation reached five targeted areas in Baltimore City and County. Bicycles were also donated by the Foundation to the U.S. Marine Toys for Tots Organization.   The Foundation looks forward to presenting in 2008 its first scholarship awards to bicycle recipients (2006) who, upon graduating from high school, have earned a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher.    Giving to children in need, to any degree, is a wonderful thing because the need is so great. The goal of the Foundation is to donate 10,000 bicycles to less fortunate children by the end of 2008. With continued support from individuals, similarly committed organizations and corporations, this goal can be met.      Bicycle Giveaway 2006   Hundreds of underprivileged children received brand new bicycles for Christmas on December 16, 2006, from the G&E Hill Foundation through Thoroughbred Spirit Bicycle Giveaway Program. A full-circle moment came for the organization's co-founder, Gloria Hill, after returning to the neighborhood where she grew up too  poor as a child to get a bicycle of her own, to present over 100 bicycles to children between the ages of 4 and 16 years. The G&E Hill Foundation also donated bicycles to the U.S. Marine Toys for Tots that day.   A week later, on December 23, 2006, the Foundation, in partnership with Oprah ‘s Angel Network, presented the young survivors of Hurricane Katrina (and Rita) -- the children of displaced families now living on Angel Lane in Houston, Texas -- with brand new bicycles & Treasure Boxes of gifts and toys. Elves & More, a similarly-committed children’s charity based in Houston, joined in helping with the donations, delivery and distribution. Santa was there, too.   Cheers went up from the Angel Lane families upon receiving an unexpected surprise -- the announcement that the G&E Hill Foundation is planning to award its first college scholarships in 2008 to deserving Angel Lane students who, upon graduating from high school, have earned a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher.      (to view photos, go to Gallery)                                                                        Bike-A-Tyke!   Make a donation of just $50 and you will be paying for the purchase and delivery of a bicycle for one underprivileged child, 4 to 16 years of age. You then become a member of the Bike-A-Tyke Team and your name will be added to the Bike-A-Tyke list (for more on this go to Fundraisers). If you cannot give $50, then give what you can -- $10, $25. Whatever amount you are able to contribute will go towards making sure that some child in need receives a brand new bicycle for Christmas.   Note: Each bicycle recipient who, upon graduating from high school, has earned a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher, will receive a college scholarship award from the G&E Hill Foundation.    "Thank you for continuing to support our efforts to bring hope and happiness to children living in poverty!"

Have you ever really wanted something, but no matter how hard you work, you can’t afford to buy it -- a car, a house? With hopes high, still you imagine yourself  owning that special something. You save your money and steadfastly hold onto your dream of someday being able to own it. But what if you think you’ll never be able to save enough money to afford that special something you so covet? It’s a sinking feeling. Now you have an idea of what poverty feels like for a child wishing futilely for a bicycle -- the one thing h/she wants most in the world but his/her parents cannot afford to buy.   A bicycle may seem like just another toy, but to a child a bicycle means so much more than that. Besides a fun thing to have, it means freedom and mobility, a way to get around and extend their boundaries (within set limits). With increased mobility, comes the chance to meet and bond with other children.   Poor children spend their young lifetimes wishing and hoping for things that they often never get. It is a sad fact of their lives. [More info...]     Bicycle Giveaway and Scholarship Awards 2009   This year, the smiling faces of many children in need, happy to receive brand new bicycles of their own for Christmas, greeted the G&E Hill Foundation volunteers. It was a great day on December 3, 2009, when the Foundation also presented bicycles to the United States Toys for Tots Program. We are ever reaching higher. To that end, the goal for our 2010 Bicycle Giveaway is 10,000+ bicycles.   CONGRATULATIONS to Earl Ray Hurst III !!!   Entering college in the fall of 2009, Earl Ray Hurst III was thrilled to be a most deserving recipient of the G&E Hill Foundation's Thoroughbred Spirit Scholarship Award.  In 2005, this very bright young man and his family lost their home in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Hurricane Katrina. After his family was relocated to Angel Lane in Houston, Texas (thanks to Oprah Winfrey’s Angel Network intervention -- building brand new homes for hundreds of displaced Hurricane Katrina families), Earl was enrolled in a new school in Houston, Texas. Sadly, shortly after the family moved into their new home in Houston, Earl’s mother was struck by a car and killed.  Yet, in spite of this unfathomable tragedy, the difficulties that it brought and the many hardships he and his family have endured, Earl was able to recover and, in time, he continued to maintain high grades in school. We are extremely proud of the accomplishments of this bright young honor student, another one of the over 100 G&E Hill Foundation bicycle recipients living on Angel Lane to receive this special scholarship award. We look forward to awarding more scholarships in the future to many of our young bicycle recipients who follow the example set by Earl Ray Hurst III.   Earl Says: "The G&E Hill Foundation has helped me so much.  It helped me pay for tuition, and it is a big help to me in buying books and other school equipment. The refund checks that I receive from this award keeps me from having to worry about money to pay for these things. Whenever I need anything for school, I can draw from it. My mother would have been very proud of me. She always wanted to see me go to college, and without this scholarship I would not have been able to enroll at  Grambling State University where I made the Dean's List in my first semester.” (for more from Earl, go to Feedback)     Bicycle Giveaway and Scholarship Awards 2008   CONGRATULATIONS to Andraea Camble!!!   This fall the G&E Hill Foundation presented its first Thoroughbred Spirit Scholarship Award to Andraea Camble. In 2005, this very bright young lady and her family lost their home in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Hurricane Katrina. After her displaced family was relocated to Angel Lane in Houston, Texas (thanks to Oprah Winfrey’s Angel Network intervention -- building brand new homes for hundreds of displaced Hurricane Katrina families), Andraea was enrolled in a new school in Houston, Texas. In spite of the many hardships she and her family experienced, she continued to maintain high grades. We are proud of the accomplishments of this young honor student, the first of over 100 G&E Hill Foundation bicycle recipients living on Angel Lane to receive this scholarship award. We look forward to awarding more scholarships in the future to many of our young bicycle recipients who follow the example set by Andraea Camble.