Mary Hampton, an 89-year-old Berkhamsted, UK, resident, cycled to do her shopping in a local supermarket one Thursday morning in March, leaving the bike unlocked just as she had done for the previous 85 years since she first climbed into a saddle. Some culprit thief therefore concluded it’s up for grabs and when Mary returned with her groceries her beloved Raleigh Shopper was nowhere to be seen.
As she couldn’t afford a new bike right away, this obviously saddened her a great deal. When news of the inconsiderate act started spreading through social media platforms, a local cycling club decided to take action. Berkhamsted Cycling Club pooled their money to surprise Mrs Hampton with a brand new folding bike, while others hearing about the cause also chipped in to provide her with resources for a bike lock and a handlebar basket. And what a lock she got!
“I’ve bought a huge padlock. I’ve never seen such a big padlock,” Mrs Hampton told the BBC.
The whole fundraising and bike-gifting process took only about 10 days since the date the original bike was stolen. Here’s a clear proof that when the intentions are un-selfish and helping, awesome things can happen in a very short period of time. As Mrs Hampton fittingly puts it: “One bad action happened, but think of the wonderful kindness and caring that’s come from it.”
