November is a special time for Nat’s Outdoor Sports as it spends the month holding its annual Nat’s Bikes for Kids program that gives children in need a Christmas gift.

Nat’s Bikes for Kids was started in 1994 by Nat’s Outdoor Sports owner Nat Love, who had a goal to give back to the community and provide Christmas gifts to children in need.

During the past 25 years, more than 4,500 bikes have been distributed to children, with help credited to the local Jaycees, who work with the local Boys & Girls Club, local school family resource centers and other sponsors to distribute the bikes.

“The bike doesn’t have to be brand new to be donated,” said Lane Hunt, store manager of Nat’s Outdoor Sports. “We will fix it up and make the repairs needed before they are distributed.

“It feels great to keep the tradition going,” Hunt said.

Liz Bernard, chief executive of the Boys & Girls Club, said the club has been part of the campaign since the merging of the Boys & Girls Club and Girls Inc. in 2009. Girls Inc. also was part of the campaign before the merger, according to Bernard.

“What we do is we identify the need with our club members,” Bernard said. “We do a program during Christmas where we adopt out our club members. … If there’s a bike on there we take care of those that need it the most first and add more kids to the list depending on what’s available.

“The kids love it,” Bernard said. “No matter how much time goes by or how trends change, a bike is something that a kid wants. It is kind of a rite of passage. It gives you that freedom and mobility and it is just really a cool thing. Last year, we gave out 35 bikes and it is generally in that neighborhood of how many bikes get given out.”

Bernard encourages the public to continue to donate this year.

“The best thing people can do is contribute a bike,” she said. “The more that people can contribute bikes, the more we can help out.”

Bernard also praised the work Nat’s Outdoor Sports does in restoring the donated bikes. “They do such a great job restoring gently used bikes,” she said. “You don’t even know it when they come in that they are used bikes, so that is really nice.”

Anyone interested in donating bikes has until Nov. 30 to do so. Bikes can be dropped off at Nat’s Outdoor Sports at 1121 Wilkinson Trace in Bowling Green. Drop-offs can be made anytime the store is open for business, which is from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. For more information, visit natsoutdoor.com or Nat’s Outdoor Sports’ Facebook page at facebook.com/NATSOUTDOOR.