Anthony Manderino, 6, of Butler gets a little help Wednesday balancing his very first bicycle from his mother, Devon, left, at the Butler County Family YMCA. Twenty-nine children were surprised by gifts of new bicycles donated by the Armstrong Group of Companies.

Christmas came early for a group of children in the Butler County Family YMCA's after-school day care program.

On Thanksgiving eve, 29 of the children were surprised by gifts of new bicycles donated by the Armstrong Group of Companies.

“My bike's a little too big for me,” Sophia Crider, 7, of Butler told her mother, Paula.

Sophia's older brother, Colton, 8, also received one of the 29 bikes, which came with helmets and locks.

Seat height adjustments were all that was needed to allow the kids to take their new wheels for short spins in a conference room in the YMCA building on North Washington Street in Butler.

In early November, Armstrong employees assembled 13 bikes to give away to the YMCA during a team-building exercise in the Double Tree By Hilton in Cranberry Township,

“The main event of that team building day was to build these bikes,” said Julie Saeler, YMCA healthy living director. “They had to test ride them.”

The YMCA measured the height of all 86 children in the after-school program to determine which were tall enough to ride the 20-inch bikes.

Since there were not enough two wheelers for all the kids big enough to ride them, the YMCA was going to raffle the bikes, she said.When Armstrong learned there were not enough bikes, the company decided to donate 16 more, she said.“We have a really great relationship with Armstrong. They decided to get a bike for every single child,” Saeler said.“We were thankful to be able to raffle them,” said Sandra Ihlenfeld, YMCA executive director. “It would have been difficult not to give one to everybody.”Parents of the children in the program were told about the bike giveaway a couple weeks ago.Devon Manderino of Butler knew, but didn't tell her 6-year-old son, Anthony, that he was going to receive his first bike.“I didn't trust him to keep a secret,” Manderino said.

“It's a big surprise,” Anthony said.“I have a feeling he'll want to ride in the snow,” Devon said.Children and their parents will appreciate the bikes, Ihlenfeld said. Parents whose children are in the program work and many receive financial assistance, she said.“This is a big help. Great way to start their holiday season. I think the kids appreciate it. It's a total surprise,” Ihlenfeld said.The after-school program is held before and after school at Center Township, McQuistion and Emily Brittain elementary schools and Butler Catholic School.

Armstrong employee Ken Proudfoot builds a bicycle last week at the Butler County Family YMCA. The Armstrong Group of Companies donated 29 bikes Wednesday to children in the YMCA's after-school day care program.

The bikes were lined up Wednesday to be distributed to the children along with helmets and locks.