Dom Pecora

By the time Dominick Pecora was 10 years old, he’d broken and repaired his bicycle many times. He thought it made sense to upgrade to something sturdier, so he went to his mom with a big ask: “I wanted a really nice, expensive mountain bike,” Dom, now 15, says.

His mom said no. But she did offer to help him raise the funds to buy the bike himself. Dom figured he could earn money by fixing bikes, a skill he’d honed by watching YouTube videos. His mom set up a Facebook page—Dom Fixes Bikes—to spread the word about his services. “We had a kind of pay-what-you-want theme,” Dom recalls.

Eventually, he was able to purchase his dream bike. He also had enough money left over to surprise six other kids with brand-new bikes for Christmas. That was in 2020, during the pandemic. After that, “I just continued to do it,” Dom says.

At first, he worked out of his home. When more room was needed, he rented a one-car garage. “There was no electricity, no AC, no heat,” Dom says. Plus, there was no bathroom.

Despite the challenges, Dom persisted. Last September, he celebrated the grand opening of his first storefront, in Malvern, Pa., where he does tune-ups and repairs and sells new and refurbished bikes.

During the holiday season he gave away 121 bikes, surpassing his goal of 100 a year. Sponsorships and donations to his nonprofit help support his mission. Recipients of donated bikes have included young people in recovery from addiction and individuals experiencing homelessness.

“Since the beginning, I always wanted everyone to be able to ride a bike, no matter their financial abilities,” Dom says. The process, he adds, is simple: “Everyone who applies for a bike will get a bike.”

That’s how 5-year-old Ilarii, a newcomer from Ukraine, got a bike. Shortly after a request was made by his school, Ilarii was the proud new owner of a snazzy black-and-red BMX bike with training wheels. “It was just such a nice thing for [Dom] to do,” recalls Matt Coyne, a deacon at the Downington, Pa., parish that is sponsoring the boy and his mom.

Sarah Greim has also been touched by Dom’s generosity. She’s executive director of the Timothy School in Berwyn, Pa., which serves students with autism. “Riding a bike can be challenging for a lot of our kids,” Greim says. Last fall, Dom reached out to the school with an offer to donate bikes built for riders with special needs. “It’s such a joy to peek out onto the playground and see students riding these bikes and just having fun,” Greim says. “That’s all thanks to Dom. He brought this great experience into the lives of our students.”

Pennsylvania state representative Melissa Shusterman, who represents Dom’s district, has also seen the teen in action. “[He] is an excellent example of how ambitious and plugged in young people are to the social issues of our time,” Shusterman said in an email. “His generosity and accomplishments are impressive and give me a lot of hope for the future.”

For Dom, the passion project remains pure—and personal. “I love bikes,” Dom says. “For me, my bike represents a lot of freedom.” Riding, he adds, is “a way to kind of clear my head, and it’s like that for a lot of other people as well.”