Making long trips during the holidays is nothing new for Dallas native, Larry Sauls, and this year is no exception as he made the near 10 hour round trip to deliver a truckload of bicycles to the Fisher County Ministerial Association, arriving just after this week’s Sunday services.
Long before he launched his website: larrysaulsandfriends.org, or before his group of friends transformed into an official 501C3, it was a simple idea forged in the mind and heart of a young man that wanted to give. Sauls never had any children of his own but wanted to do something special for kids at Christmas.
He loaded $2500 worth of bicycles into the back of his pickup truck and made special deliveries throughout his surrounding community. Working with local Dallas’s Channel eight news affiliate word began to spread, and each year became a little bigger than the ones before.
As a commercial truck merchant with Rush Trucking, Sauls had access to dozens of major companies, and when those business owners heard what he was doing, they were eager to get involved. Word spread through vendors, friends of vendors, and so many others.
“I have never had to knock on any doors,” said Sauls. “20 years ago, I started with $2500 and a pickup truck, and now we're doing $200,000 in a tractor-trailer.”
A majority of the companies that have purchased trucks or worked with Sauls over the years are now annual contributors. One of the largest donators, Academy Sports contributed around $15,000 in products in this year alone to help sponsor the project.
“Without all of those who are associated with Larry Sauls and Friends, it would still be $2500 in a pickup truck,” said Sauls. “I'm just the delivery guy.”
Along with trailers full of bikes, Sauls continues to deliver trucks to clients and racks up close to 150,000 miles every year. After Sunday’s delivery, Sauls returned to Dallas to fill the truck with another load of bikes for a trip out to Texarkana and will have delivered over 2500 bikes before he’s through.
Sauls explained that his goal is to be able to deliver bicycles to kids statewide, not just around the Dallas area, and he has been looking for a way to branch out west. So, when his childhood friend and First United Methodist Church of Rotan Minister Jeff Sedberry were on a hunting trip together, offering to turn over a few more miles on the odometer to deliver a truck full of bikes to Rotan was an easy offer to make.
Larry and Jeff have been friends since before they were born, as their family’s close companionship goes back more than three generations. Larry comes out to the visit and do some hunting on the Sedberry ranch around Clairemont as often as he can.
“There is a rush truck center, I try to be a good steward for that area,” said Sauls. “So, when we were talking around the campfire, and I mentioned that we had plenty of bikes to donate if there was a need in Fisher County.”
Sedberry jumped at the chance, and although it was a short timeline, he and his fellow clergymen pulled together to make it happen. “Now that I’ve seen how it can be done, we will be much better organized next year.”
Sauls was quick to respond when asked if there would be more donations in the years ahead. “Once I do it the first time, I try to stay locked up and keep coming back,” said Sauls, pointing out the organization's motto painted on the side of the truck that reads: Cuz it's the right thing to do.
Those who would like to get involved with Larry Sauls and Friends and the Santa’s Helpers Annual Toy Drive can make contact through his website: larrysaulsandfriends.org.