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Sylvan Lake woman thankful to neighbour who replaced stolen bike

Randel Braceros’s bike was stolen and was then surprised by his neighbour when he replaced it
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Randel Braceros poses for a photo with his new bike which was given to him by a neighbour after his was stolen. Photo Submitted

Joy Braceros says she is overwhelmed by the generosity she has experienced by those in Sylvan Lake.

A neighbour replaced her son’s stolen bike to help him get to and from school while Braceros is working.

Braceros and her son, Randel, moved to Sylvan Lake on Sept. 17 so Randel could attend Ecole Fox Run School with the friends he had made at Poplar Ridge School.

Braceros says her son bikes to school each day, but that was put to a sudden end when he woke up one morning to find his bike was gone.

“I remember he was just standing there and I asked him what he was doing and that he was going to be late. He looked at me and said, “Mom where is my bike?’” Braceros said.

The bike had been locked up on the back deck of their home in Rainbow Park. Braceros says it is a habit for a her son to take out the garbage and check to make sure his bike is locked up.

Sometime in the night the bike was stolen, the odd part being her own bike, which was also locked up o nthe deck, was not taken as well.

“I asked around to see if anyone had seen anything or if this was normal. I was told it is Sylvan Lake and it is just a bike,” she said.

A health care worker, Braceros says she was really upset because money is tight and she wasn’t sure if she could replace her son’s bike.

“He loves biking to school, and was so upset his bike was gone.”

One of the neighbours she spoke to, Brandon Wilder, told her he would keep and eye out.

Later that day Wilder surprised Randel with a brand new bike.

“It was a whole group of friends that all pooled in to help him out,” Wilder said on Facebook.

“I have had my fair share of items stolen and I know how much it sucks so I hope this made [his] day a little better.”

Braceros says she is grateful and thankful for the generosity Wilder and his friends have shown her family.

She says she could never repay the generosity shown to her family, but is “so very thankful.”

“I put it on Facebook to say thank you because I could never repay him,” Braceros said.

“Thank you. Thank you so much. He did this for a complete stranger and that is amazing.”