The Hall County Sheriff's Office granted Christmas wishes for 62 kids this year with their 24th annual Christmas bicycle giveaway.
Between 9 and 11 a.m. Thursday, families of those receiving a bike dropped by Sheriff's Office headquarters to pick up one or sometimes multiple. Deputies and personnel with the Sheriff's Office were waiting outside to help load the bikes into vehicles.
"This is one of the few times of the year that we really get involved with the community in this way," said Lt. Greg Cochran. "Everybody here enjoys it, that's why they come. This is one event I don't have to ask for help because everybody wants to come do it."
The bikes, along with helmets, are purchased by the Sheriff's Office with money from fundraising events and donations from the community.
Cochran said children are selected through an application process; the application opens around Thanksgiving each year and parents or guardians have 30 days to submit an application.
The only qualifications are that a child must be between the ages of three and 12 and live in Hall County. Cochrain said the Sheriff's Office verifies recipients by requiring the parent to submit their child's birth certificate for proof of age and bringing a form of identification when they pick up the bike.
"We verify that information and then we set up a day that we go shopping and pick up the bicycles," said Cochran.
He added that personnel will occasionally hear back from the parents after their child gets their bike. But the best memories are made when the child comes with the parent to pick up the bike.
"I love it when the kids come, I know a lot of the parents want to pick the bikes up and then surprise their kids with it on Christmas morning, which is awesome," said Cochran. "But it's kind of cool when the kids come and you see them here...there's no written thank you necessary because you see it right here."
In addition to the 62 bikes picked up this morning, Cochrain said the Sheriff's Office delivered around 28 bikes to local nonprofits including Court Appointed Special Advocates and the Edmondson Telford Center.
