The holiday bicycle giveaway is this Saturday, but co-organizer John Dickess said donations of bicycles or money does not have to stop at the conclusion of the event.

“We will accept bikes and donations until Christmas,” Dickess said. “As long as we have bikes coming in we will keep giving them away.”

The slow recovery of the economy has hampered the number of bikes and money donated this year, something Dickess and co-organizer Don Schwartz, manager of Advance Auto Parts in Ironton early on was a cause for concern.

In mid-November 100 bikes had been donated, a pace Dickess said may not help him and Schwartz reach their 200-bike goal.

“It’s going much better,” Dickess said on Friday. “We’ve got 190 bikes and names on 160 of them. We have Ohio University Southern involved and they are helping out with a couple of bikes. We have a church helping us and Ashland (Ky.) Walmart is giving us discounts on bikes and helmets.”

Tri-State Worship Center in South Point is partnering this year by selling food baskets to raise money for bikes. Dickess said since September $1,600 has been raised.

The giveaway has come a long way since it began in 2011 when the plan was to give away two bikes. Nearly a month after announcing their plan, Dickess and Schwartz saw people in the community donate money and bikes well beyond expectations, and ultimately 30 children were given free bikes.

Donation boxes are in place at local businesses and more are available. A child’s name can be entered into the drawing at Advance Auto Parts on the corner of Park Avenue and Sixth Street. The giveaway will begin at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Ro-Na Theater in Ironton. Batman and Spiderman will be in attendance as well as Santa and Mrs. Claus. Dickess said the public is encouraged to attend and door prizes will be given out.