Bikes Donated by Nabakowski Grandson

posted 1/16/20 -- One Lorain family’s tradition of service continued this month thanks to two bicycles.

Jeff Nabakowski (pictured in center) donated two bikes he received as Christmas gifts to the LCCAA Bike Shop on West 10th Street. The shop is housed in the Ronald Nabakowski Youth Center, named for Jeff’s grandfather.

“It was very humbling to see and be part of the legacy that my grandfather has left behind,” Nabakowski said. “I seriously never thought that such a simple act of kindness could have affected me the way it did, but I held back tears as I walked through the bike shop and to see the progress that has taken place.”

Ron Nabakowski served on LCCAA’s Board of Directors from 2005 to 2016, including two years as its chair. He succumbed to Lou Gehrig’s disease in 2016. The building at 101 W. 10th St. was dedicated to him at an event in June 2019. The bike shop opened later that summer. The bikes were donated in Ron’s memory.

“He was a great inspiration to the community with his dedication to Lorain,” said Frank Prihoda, LCCAA Planning and Community Services Director in a letter of thanks to Nabakowski. “We are proud to have his name on our youth center.”

The shop is operated by participants in LCCAA’s Youth Services Program, ages 16 to 24, who learn valuable workforce skills by repairing used bicycles and reselling them. Many of the shop’s customers to date have been Lorain residents who rely on bicycles as their primary mode of transportation.

“This is an act of kindness and generosity that trickles down into the community my grandfather fought for and never gave up on,” Nabakowski said.

The LCCAA Bike Shop is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 1 to 5 p.m.