WEST PALM BEACH — Sitting in his office at Jack The Bike Man’s headquarters in West Palm Beach, Alejandro Hernandez described the challenge of carrying on the legacy of the nonprofit’s founder and namesake.
Hernandez became the organization’s executive director two years ago following the death of Jack Hairston, who built the nonprofit into one of Palm Beach County’s most notable charities.
“I feel grateful for the opportunity,” Hernandez said. “I’m also grateful because of the team that we have. It’s a small but tight-knit group of bike technicians, admin employees and then some of the volunteers and community service people. But it’s definitely been a challenge.”
Since its founding in 2007, Jack The Bike Man has gifted hundreds of refurbished bicycles annually to children and adults in need. It hosts an annual giveaway each Christmas, donating two-wheelers and helmets to children. It also has a program that allows people to earn a bicycle, accessories or repair services by doing volunteer work.
Hairston died from a heart attack on July 7, 2023, at the age of 81, raising questions about the charity’s future.
“A lot of people thought that that was the end of Jack The Bike Man when he passed away,” Hernandez said. “So it’s been an uphill struggle in trying to educate the community that, no, we’re still here and we’re still doing the same things that we did prior to Jack passing away.
“We’ve actually expanded some of the things that we were doing before, and we’re reaching a lot more kids and adults than we did before.”
Part of that uphill struggle was a fire in February in a neighboring space that the Bike Man owns. Despite the blaze, operations did not stop, and they continued to work out of space on Claremore Drive.
Hernandez, 45, is in his second stint with the organization. He first joined Jack The Bike Man in 2016, serving as its program director for nearly three years before departing for a position with the Center for Creative Education. Hairston recruited Hernandez to return in 2022 as director of operations.
A native of Torreon, Mexico, Hernandez moved to El Paso, Texas, with his family when he was 15. He lived in Texas and California before making his way to South Florida in 2016. He previously worked in the mental health field, serving as a counselor to children and families and helping with adults with severe mental illnesses and addiction issues.
Hernandez said working with Hairston taught him to oversee multiple tasks. He said his goal is to make Jack The Bike Man even more of a community hub, and to continue Hairston’s mission of helping those in need.
“It’s more than just someone on a bike smiling and having a good time riding the bike,” Hernandez said. “Jack The Bike Man has become more than that. The bikes that we give away, it’s kind of like a lifeline or a new beginning for someone. It’s more than just two wheels.”
Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: ‘We’re still here’: New Jack the Bike Man chief carries on legacy of helping those in need
Reporting by Julius Whigham II, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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