Bend man donates tricycles to SOAR

The SOAR preschool children received a gift of two tricycles Thursday from Marc Bowerman, owner of Century Cycles in Bend.

Bowerman has kept watch on SOAR and its programs, and feels strongly about community support of kids. He was inspired to donate the tricycles when he sold a car to Kim Leese of the SOAR Foundation.

“We need to give back to our communities,” Bowerman said. “Parents have to work and kids need a way to stay out of trouble and away from ‘creeps’.”

Bowerman is a sales consultant at Murray and Holt. His son, Donald, manages the cycle shop, where he has worked since he was 14 years old. Marc believes that working in the bike shop and being exposed to active, health-conscious people guided his son to become successful after graduating as a four-point student of Central Oregon Community College in 1986.

Bowerman comes from an historic Oregon family which includes Bill Bowerman, former legendary University of Oregon track coach who invented the shoes that became the foundation of Nike, and celebrated cowboy poet Jon Bowerman.