An outpouring of kindness is being directed at a Nanaimo family, in the wake of a shocking robbery of their 9-year-old son’s prized bike.
Ewan Snikkers’ bike was stolen by a threatening man outside the Nanaimo Aquatic Centre but now offers of help are pouring in to help.
When 9 year-old Ewan Snikkers shared how heartbroken he was by the frightening theft of his bike by a grown man outside the Nanaimo Aquatic Centre, it touched a nerve in people across the Island and beyond.
“I was really scared and I didn’t know what to do and stuff,” recalled Ewan Snikkers.
“And he swore at me, threatened to punch me in the face looked right at me and said do you want me to punch you in the face called me some more swear words and then just rode off,” says his 12-year-old brother, Wyatt Snikkers.
“I’m floored by it. The outpouring of support that we’ve had to help this kid get back on his bike has been really, really exciting,” says Robin Dutton of Coal City Cycles.
“We’ve had a lot of offers in our community,” says Const. Gary O’Brien of Nanaimo RCMP. “We’ve had offers from Victoria. We’ve had as far away as Bellingham, Washington they wanted to buy the bike. ”
“It’s heartwrenching to see something like that and just to think of how traumatized he might be,” says Dutton. “The amount of support that we’ve gotten from the community to help him get a new bike has just been amazing. So it looks like we are going to be able to make it happen for him.”
So many offers of help have poured in to RCMP, Coal City Cycles and CHEK News that the family says they are feeling utterly overwhelmed and in shock. So they’re hoping to pay the generosity forward and are asking all the people that wanted to help Ewan, help others who could use a bike
“So look to people in the community who need a helping hand who need a bike to get along and please do that for them,” says Cst. O’Brien.
Their appeal also brought in a flood of tips that RCMP believe have identified this suspect for them. Though they’re not sure they’ll be able to recover Ewan’s bike, another of the same model is being shined up at Coal City Cycle to be given to him on his next visit to the shop.
“Yeah this is the exact same model and everything,” says Dutton holding a bike.
Using kindness to restore a family’s faith in their community after it was shaken by a heartless theft.
Skye Ryan
