Ray’s Rides: Bethel Park man’s legacy of teaching kids to ride bikes to live on
Raymond Carter loved to teach children how to ride a bike. It was important to him that kids have that opportunity.
It was not uncommon to see him teaching a neighborhood child how to ride a bike and making sure that child had a bike at home.
The Bethel Park man died Feb. 13, 2022, due to COVID-19 at the age of 61, but his desire for children to learn how to ride and have a bike of their own will continue.
Monica, Ray’s wife of 28 years, will honor her husband’s memory with an event later this month called Ray’s Rides.
Ray’s Rides will be held Saturday, May 27, in the parking lot of the Spencer Family YMCA, 305 Church Road, Bethel Park, to provide children with bikes and also teach them how to ride.
“All of our kids had bikes,” Monica said of their three children. “My husband made sure of that. This was his thing. We would be at cookouts and our kids would be on bikes, and some kid would be walking by and he would ask, ‘Hey do you know how to ride a bike?’ He enjoyed seeing the look on their faces after they realized they were riding.”
The event is open to all. Members of Carter’s family will be among those on hand to offer bike-riding instruction.
“My husband was one that no matter where we were, whether we were at his mother’s house or down in the park, he was always showing someone how to ride a bike,” Monica said. “All the nieces and nephews, all of the kids in the neighborhood know how to ride a bike because of my husband.”
Every child registered will receive a fully refurbished bike provided by the Spencer Family YMCA, a new bike helmet, plus a Ray’s Rides T-shirt and water bottle.
Monica said the goal was to have 100 registrants. As of May 2, there were 86.
“I’m just honored to be able to do this for my husband,” she said. “The fact that so many people are getting on board is just amazing to me. It grew. I’m overwhelmed. This is a good community. I love Bethel Park.”
Michael Lloyd, the YMCA’s director of mission advancement, said he has been involved in bike distributions in the past and considers a bicycle a special gift.
“I think this is a great tribute to Ray,” Lloyd said. “We really want to recognize his life contributions. We also know there are a lot of kids that need bikes and a lot of people that have bikes. We just need to put them together.”
Registrations can be made on the Ray’s Rides Facebook page.
“We’re taking registration for the bikes; we’re taking registrations for volunteers as well,” Monica said. “There’s about eight questions they have to answer. Once that’s completed, I get a notification and I let the YMCA know and they get the bikes.”
Additional volunteers are needed to teach the kids to ride and make adjustments to the bikes, plus an area in the South Hills where the adjustments can be made.
“I can’t wait to see these children,” she said. “I can’t wait to meet the parents. I’ve had a lot of fun just organizing it. It’s helping me heal. We just want to bless as many children as we possibly can. I know he would have enjoyed doing this. He really was a generous man. He had a big heart. The right people have been getting on board that have what we need. I’m just overwhelmed with the love and support. “