Before the Forbeses took the bike home, Jackie handed Courtney an extra gift: a pair of purple bike gloves.
When The Columbian first reported the theft, readers commented on the story and offered donations ranging from $5 to $1,000. Courtney’s mom, Kim Turner, set up a donation account at US Bank under the name Harly and Courtney Bike Fund.
“It puts your faith back in humanity,” she said. “It angered me so much that someone would take from those two kids … to take something that meant so much to them in so many different ways.”
With the money that’s already been donated, the Forbeses plan to buy pedals, tires and a rack for their new bike.
Turner lives with the couple in a small house with little space to store a tandem bike. After talking with Bad Monkey, a downtown Vancouver bike shop, the family is considering getting two Kryptonite locks. The locks would be harder to break than the cable lock that was on the Peugeot, and Kryptonite locks can be registered.
Patty Hastings: 360-735-4513; twitter.com/col_cops; patty.hastings@columbian.com.
Columbian reporter Emily Gillespie contributed to this story.