KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
July 7, 2022
By Natalie Cook Clark
The community rallied to support a 12-year-old whose bike was stolen from a Katy Kroger. After a failed search to recover the bike, community members donated money and even a bike! Now he wants to give back.
Cyrus Moore and his new bike. Photo credit: Kristel Moore.
Thankful for the Katy Community
“I am so extremely proud and thankful that I am surrounded by such a generous community, so generous that they did all they could to help me get my bike back,” says Cyrus Moore.
Bike Stolen from Bay Hill and 99 Kroger
Cyrus Moore and his family are blown away by the generosity and support the Katy community has showed them. On July 1, 2022 Cyrus rode his bike to the Kroger at Bay Hill and 99 to get some chips. He left his 20” Redline BMX at the bike rack and then returned five minutes later and it was gone.
He called his mom, Kristel Moore and she drove to get him while they started to track his bike with its air tag. The bike was moving north, not far from the Kroger and the headed out to recover the stolen.
“My adrenaline was pumping, and Cyrus was so sure he was getting his bike back,” says Kristel. “I called my husband for back up because I was nervous to confront a bike thief by myself.”
The signal took them to a parking lot where an event was taking place. They looked around other vehicles thinking someone had put the bike in a truck bed or back of an SUV. They didn’t see the bike.
“I called the police to file a report (they never showed up), and when we were pretty much ready to give up for the night, we decided to check this empty field just north of the restaurant and sure enough we found the air tag, and no bike,” explains Kristel. The air tag had been clipped off the bike.
Decided to Raise Funds for a New Bike
But Cyrus stayed optimistic. He wanted to find a way to replace the bike he loved and that he had gotten last November for a birthday gift.
“The next day he decided he wanted to sell waters and sodas on the corner intersection by our house so he could raise the money to replace his $330 BMX bike,” says Kristel.
Meanwhile, his parents posted on various social media sites about the stolen bike.
“The outpouring of support and generosity was mind-blowing,” says Kristel. “We had people not only messaging kind words of encouragement, but people who were really impressed by Cyrus' spirit and tenacity to get out there and raise the money himself.”
Gifted a New Bike
In 24 hours Cyrus raised $309 in donations and soda/water sales plus offers to gift him a new bike. While standing at the corner selling waters Dre with Washington Construction and Fencing pulled up and presented him with a gently used Haro BMX bike.
“This was completely unexpected,” says Kristel. “He had no idea that a community would come together like this for him.”
To not waste the money he raised and that was donated, Cyrus is buying accessories for his bike including a bike lock.
Plans to Start a Charity
“He wants to use the left-over money to start a charity to help other kids who have had their bike stolen to get a new one,” says Kristel. They are looking into setting this up.
Cyrus is new to the Katy area and will be a seventh grader at Cinco Ranch Junior High this fall.
“Although I wasn’t reunited with my bike, I was still donated a new one and for that I felt so happy because at least I had a bike,” says Cyrus. “I was excited as well.”