Village of Florida man honored after giving away 30,000 bicycles to kids
What started as a sports equipment consignment shop has grown into a community resource providing affordable gear, free bicycles, food and baby supplies for families in need.
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Every bicycle, stroller, and pair of cleats inside Robbie Jacobs' store has the potential to change someone's day.
That's because many of the people who walk through his doors aren't just looking for sports equipment. They're looking for help.
Jacobs owns Back In The Game Sports, a sports equipment consignment shop in the Village of Florida that has quietly become a community resource for families in need. In addition to selling affordable used sports equipment, he says he's given away more than 30,000 bicycles and distributes donated food, baby formula, and strollers.
What started as a retirement project has grown into something much bigger than a sports equipment store.
"We started this store as a store. We were going to resell some sports equipment," Jacobs said. "We started to meet people who didn't have, and then I realized that the purpose of the store was going to be something else."
Today, shelves inside the shop are packed with everything from baseball gloves and cleats to hockey gear and skis. Families can purchase quality used equipment for significantly less than retail prices.
"If you want to get your kid into hockey, that would be five or six hundred dollars to outfit a child to be a goalie," Jacobs said. "Here it'll cost you a hundred or a hundred and fifty."
Customers say the savings can make a major difference.
"I think this place is great. I wish something like this was around when we were kids," said customer Paul Martini of Milford, Pennsylvania.
Over time, Jacobs says he began noticing more families struggling to make ends meet.
"People are hurting and I'm meeting people more and more who need things, so I'm going to try to help them get it," he said.
That mission has expanded far beyond sports equipment.
In the back of the store, Jacobs gives away donated baby formula, strollers, and other essentials. He also operates a small food pantry for people facing difficult financial situations.
He says community members regularly donate items, allowing him to continue helping those in need.
The effort that may be most well-known, however, is his bicycle giveaway program.
Jacobs estimates he has given away more than 30,000 bicycles over the years to children and families throughout the region. During a recent visit to the store, several children stopped by to pick up bicycles, prompting cheers from Jacobs and their families.
The work recently earned Jacobs recognition as Orange County's Citizen of the Month.
Still, he says the recognition is not what motivates him.
"It's the best. I have the best job in the world," Jacobs said.
His personal motto can be found on a shirt he often wears inside the store: "Make it a kind day."
For Jacobs, those aren't just words. They're a philosophy that has transformed a small sports shop into a lifeline for families across the community.
