Thanks to a community effort by several local groups, a Longmont teen will get to spend the summer cruising around town on a new bike.

Te Esquibel, 16, is non-verbal and struggles with cerebral palsy, seizures, and chronic lung conditions. For three years, Te’s mom, Stephanie Esquibel, has been saving money for a bike that fits her son’s special needs by collecting aluminum cans.

“It’s just been this ongoing project of collecting lots and lots of cans, and recycling them to get him a bike,” Esquibel said. “As a single parent, and with his medical costs being high, a bike is really a luxury for us.”

Esquibel’s efforts ended up catching peoples’ attention, including staff at Timberline PK-8, where Esquibel used to work as a math teacher.

Collection stations were set up around the school, and students and faculty were encouraged to donate cans.

The Ziggi’s Coffee drive-thru at 1221 S. Main St. also pitched in, with baristas setting aside cans used for drinks. Esquibel would stop by the drive-thru a few times each week to pick them up.

“I think everybody in the store knows her whole story and how important it is that we save all these for her,” said barista Lucia Finley. “It’s such a small thing to do, but it just does so much, and all of us were so happy to do it.”

Another major contribution came from the Longmont Moose Lodge.

Lodge member Annette Reigle, who met Esquibel while they were coworkers at Timberline PK-8, decided to cover the bike’s remaining cost with money raised through the lodge’s “Birthday Bag” program.

The program donates gift bags to local schools to make sure every student receives something for their birthday, regardless of their financial situation.

During a membership meeting Thursday evening at the lodge, the Esquibels were presented with a check for $1,600, the amount needed to cover the remainder of the bike’s roughly $7,000 price tag.“The Birthday Bag Committee would like to donate the rest of the money needed for this special child so he can enjoy the outdoors,” said Rob Burkett, president of the lodge board, at the check presentation.

The bike will have a wheelchair in the front for Te, and a seat in the back for Esquibel. It should arrive within the next four to five weeks, meaning Te will get to enjoy plenty of rides in the summer weather.

“This really does mean a lot to me as a mother that you support my son in having this experience,” Esquibel told lodge members. “This is an incredible miracle. This is what we call miracles on Earth.”

Esquibel explained that Te’s older sister takes frequent bike rides, and Te usually follows behind in his chair. With the new bike, all three of them can ride at the same time.

“It wasn’t something we could do together, and now we can do this as a family,” Esquibel said.

Jessica Reigle, Annette’s daughter and fellow lodge member, said the bike donation aligns with the lodge’s mission of supporting local students.

“It feels really special,” she said. “When we can do one more thing in the community, it just puts a smile on my face.”