By Rajan Saha, Staff Reporter
In September 2023, then-freshman Dom Pecora hosted the grand opening of his store, Dom Fixes Bikes, in Malvern. One year later, Time Magazine named him an honoree for 2024 Kid of the Year.
Five years ago, 10-year-old Pecora started his bike repair business. He launched the business after raising money in his community to purchase an expensive bike. He decided to return the favor to his community by donating bikes to people in need. The company’s mission is to deliver bikes to anyone passionate about biking regardless of age, race, gender or financial ability.
In July, Time Magazine contacted him for an interview about his company. The Time reporter initially told him they were interviewing young people making a difference in their communities, and later informed him that he had been selected as an honoree for Kid of the Year.
“It (being recognized) was pretty cool,” Pecora said. “I felt very thankful because it took a lot of people and community.”
Since the opening of his business, Pecora has donated 200 bikes to a village in Africa, as well as 121 over the holidays and 100 throughout the year to local communities. His mother Karen Pecora runs the business while he is at school and handles the administrative work. She is proud of her son’s growing business.
“It’s been an amazing progression through donating more bikes, being involved in more community events and making a larger impact across Chester County,” Karen Pecora said.
Jamie Joyce, a freelance reporter working with Time Magazine, wrote the article about Dom Pecora. She sees the qualities in him that Time Magazine is looking for in its candidates.
“There’s a real passion for what he’s doing,” Joyce said. “All of these young people exemplify real initiative, taking something that they’re passionate about and applying it and finding ways to help other people, either on a really personal basis or to help writ large.”
Dom Pecora plans to hire a full-time mechanic in the fall, open the shop for longer hours and launch another store.
“Being recognized as a Time Kid of the Year honoree amplifies what he’s trying to do, and (when) you think about the ripple effect of that, it means that he’s able (to) eventually give bikes to even more young people because more people are aware of what he’s doing,” Joyce said. “That is one important impact of being honored in this way.”
Rajan Saha can be reached at [email protected].
