The Person Behind the Program
CNY Family Bike began in 1997 when Jan Maloff recognized that hundreds of families in Syracuse — many of them refugees, many experiencing poverty — would spend Christmas morning without the gift every kid dreams about.
The idea was simple: collect donated bikes, repair them, and give them away. Twenty-nine years later, that same idea now puts nearly 3,000 bikes under trees each December.
Jan Maloff serves as Corporate Officer of the CNY Bicycle Giveaway Foundation and is also a member of the Onondaga County Trauma Response Team. His belief is that a bicycle isn't just a toy — it's freedom, independence, and the chance for a parent to ride alongside their child for the first time.
"We serve adults as well as children, because the joy of that first bike ride doesn't have an age limit." — Jan Maloff
50,000+
total bikes given since 1997
29
years of continuous service
3,000
bikes given each Christmas
100%
volunteer-run, no paid staff